ICC World Cup 2023: CWC 2023: New Zealand crushed defending champions England in inaugural match

The inaugural match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup in Ahmedabad proved to be a lopsided encounter, as New Zealand, the runners-up of the previous edition, convincingly defeated the defending champions England by a margin of 9 wickets..

Devon Conway (152*) and Rachin Ravindra (123*)emerged as the heroes of the day, both scoring unbeaten centuries and forging an incredible 271-run partnership that left the English side floundering. While England's batters struggled to find their rhythm on the pitch, Conway and Ravindra made batting seem effortless, as if they were playing on an entirely different surface. The England bowlers appeared clueless, with their options dwindling as the Kiwi duo continued their onslaught.

New Zealand's dominance wasn't limited to their batting prowess; their bowlers also played a pivotal role in setting the tone for victory in the first innings. Matt Henry (3/47) was the catalyst, striking early to dismiss opener Dawid Malan and later claiming three more wickets. Mitchell Santner's (2/37) economical spell further tightened the screws on England's innings, while Glenn Phillips (2/17) made a sensational cameo with the ball. Collectively, their contributions restricted England to a modest total of 282/9.

England's struggle in the match was evident as they lost four wickets with less than 130 runs on the board. However, they found a lifeline through their ace batter Joe Root (77) and Jos Buttler(43), who stitched together a 70-run partnership that briefly steadied England's innings. Unfortunately for England, the departure of Buttler disrupted their momentum, and Liam Livingston's (20) support to Root couldn't prevent a collapse. Joe Root, after a valiant half-century, fell victim to Glenn Phillips, leaving England with a challenging target.

Looking ahead, New Zealand is set to face the Netherlands on October 9 in Hyderabad, while England will move to Dharamsala to take on Bangladesh on October 10.

Scorecard:

England - 282/9 (50 overs)

New Zealand - 283/1 (36.2 overs)