What a strong start New Zealand have made in the opening game of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup! The ODI World Cup 2023 started today with the match between England and New Zealand, the two finalists of the 2019 World Cup.
New Zealand have been one of the most unlucky teams in the cricket. Playing two consecutive finals in the ODI World Cup, they never have won the glory. They were so close to winning it in the previous tournament but lost to England in a dramatic superover.
However, the Black Caps have made a solid start this year. They defeated the Three Lions by nine wickets with full dominance. Young talent Rachin Ravindra received the Player of the Match award for his excellent performance both with bat and ball.
As it happened
Winning the toss, New Zealand’s acting captain Tom Latham decided to bowl first at Narendra Modi Stadium. So England started their batting innings with Jonny Bairstow and David Malan. The two openers were very careful in the crease and intended not to give quick wickets. Meanwhile, Kiwi bowlers were super compact with the ball. They maintained very tight lines and lengths, which created pressure on English batsmen.
However, the first blood was drawn when Matt Henry picked up the wicket of David Malan. Malan departed the crease after scoring only 17, while Bairstow tried to build a partnership with Joe Root. But Kiwi spinner Mitchell Santner took Bairstow in the 12.5 over, breaking a partnership of 24 runs.
New Zealand’s bowlers were on fire against the English batters and repeatedly getting wickets. But Joe Root was exceptional for England. He tried to handle the disaster with Josh Buttler. Their partnership added 80 runs on the scoreboard until Josh Butter lost his wicket to Matt Henry. Buttler scored 43 off 42, while Joe Root’s brilliant effort came to an end after scoring the highest 77 runs for England.
Unfortunately, the remaining batters couldn’t do well due to the aggression of the Kiwi bowlers. Matt Henry got three wickets, while Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips got two for each. In the end, England posted a total of 282 runs for nine wickets.
Chasing the target, New Zealand lost an early wicket. Opener Will Young had gone duck as Sam Curran picked up his wicket. It seemed England could fight well against New Zealand. But Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra never let this happen.
The two players were equally aggressive against the English bowlers, playing some incredible shots. Both Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway got a half-century in this match and were heading forward toward the century.
Ruling the English bowlers, the two batters got a century for each and made a massive partnership of 273 runs, which was enough to win the match. In addition, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway remained not out today at Narendra Modi Stadium. Conway scored the highest 152 runs from 121 balls, and Ravindra added an aggressive 123 runs only from 93 balls. As a result, New Zealand won their very first match in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup by 9 wickets.
