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New Zealand: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult
England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
New Zealand have won the opening game of the ODI World Cup, beating current champions England by nine wickets. Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway were the standouts for Aotearoa both making centuries.
Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan opened the batting for England with Trent Boult starting off with the ball for New Zealand. England got off to a solid start with Jonny Bairstow smoking a six from the second ball and then a four from the fifth ball. Matt Henry was able to tie it back from the other end, going for a maiden and then for five runs in this second over. With only 2 specialist pace bowlers in the XI, Mitchell Santner was brought into the attack in the seventh over. Henry however broke the partnership the next over as he was able to get an edge off Malan’s bat to keeper Tom Latham and departed for 14.
Joe Root and Bairstow were tasked with the job of seeing England through the rest of the powerplay and they added 10 runs from the two overs. Santner and Boult were the pair that were tasked with trying to grab the second wicket following the powerplay and Santner provided this as Bairstow sent a catch flying straight to Daryl Mitchell and was out for 33. Young superstar, Harry Brook joined Root at the crease but their partnership only lasted four overs before Brook fell. He’d tried to attack Rachin Ravindra one too many times, having already hit him for 2 fours and six in the previous balls but ultimately found Devon Conway in the deep and fell for a quickfire 25 from 16. Moeen Ali came and went, being bowled by part timer Glenn Phillips for 11. Joe Root however was playing calmly and able to keep the score ticking over. Captain Jos Buttler joined Root and this partnership was going to be crucial in getting England to a competitive score. There was the odd over that went for more than seven runs in the partnership, but the majority were sitting around the 5 runs an over mark. Just as it looked like Buttler was on for a big score, Henry was able to make the big breakthrough and get Buttler to edge behind to Latham for 43 from 42.
Livingstone was only able to last a few overs, but was able to up the momentum a bit, scoring a few boundaries in his 20 run innings. Boult was able to grab his wicket in the 39th over and leave England at 221/6. Root was the next man to fall, only two overs later for a well made 77 from 86, with Phillips once again showing his bowling skills and bowling Root.
Sam Curran and Chris Woakes lasted a few overs before Woakes went for 11, bowled by Santner and caught by Will Young and Curran for 14, once again getting the batter to edge behind to Tom Latham. Adil Rashid and Mark Wood saw England through to the end of their fifty overs and ending on 282/9. Root top scored with 77 and Buttler chipped in with 43. Henry took three wickets and Santner got two.
With 283 needed for victory, the Kiwis would need to make sure they went out the chase in a calm manner. Will Young and Devon Conway opened the batting for New Zealand with Woakes having the ball in hand for England. Conway capitalised early taking 10 runs from the opening over. Unfortunately for the Kiwis, Young departed for a golden duck as he edged behind to Buttler off Curran’s bowling, leaving his side at 10/1.
Luckily for Aotearoa, Rachin Ravindra and Conway would put on a show and make a 273* run stand. Both Ravindra and Conway attacked the England attack, being 54/1 after 7 overs and 81/1 at the end of the powerplay. Ravindra was the main aggressor taking four fours from Woakes two overs and also attacking well on Mark Wood’s bowling. Even though the powerplay had ended both players kept upping the ante and the 100 runs had quickly been made by the end of the 12th over. Boundaries were being scored about once an over but it was helped by good running between the pair. Ravindra and Conway both made their 50s from 36 balls, with Ravindra making his first.
150 runs was brought up for New Zealand in the 20th over and the 150 run stand between the two was made in 117 balls with Conway contributing 76 and Ravindra 73. Conway’s maiden ODI World Cup 100 came off 83 balls and included 13 fours and 2 sixes whilst Ravindra’s came off 82 balls and included nine fours and four sixes. When he made his century Ravindra became the youngest Kiwi to make a World Cup ODI hundred.
As the Blackcaps edged closer and closer to the target it looked like they wouldn’t lose another wicket, which ultimately they didn’t. With 38 runs needed, Conway decided that he wanted to get the game done and did just that, taking twenty runs off Sam Curran’s 35th over and then carried this on the next over, bringing up his 150 from 119 balls. Ravindra hit the winning runs in the 37th over and that was the end of the game. Ravindra ended on 123*, whilst Conway made 152*. Curran took the only wicket for England, making figures of 1/47.
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