Sports
New Zealand go 1-0 up after Conway, Mitchell heroics
Brilliant centuries from Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell meant that New Zealand carried forward the momentum from the back end of the T20I series to register a convincing eight-wicket win the opening game of the four-match ODI series against England in Cardiff on Friday (September 8). Chasing a par target of 292, New Zealand cruised home with 26 balls to spare as both batters made short work of the chase.
It was a near-perfect game for the Black Caps who got the perfect start to the chase with a rapid first PowerPlay. Will Young set the tone with an aggressive innings but he was cut short by Adil Rashid. Slotting in at no.3 was Henry Nicholls who also got a start before throwing it away. At the other end was Conway who was gradually building into his innings in his typical fashion. Runs came at a brisk pace with minimal risk as England struggled for penetration on an easing deck. The hosts bowlers were also not disciplined enough to trouble the batters.
Mitchell joined Conway for an unbroken 180-run stand that was an exhibition in strokeplay from both batters. An injury to Rashid saw the leggie limp off the field after bowling just three overs. While he did return later, the game was virtually done by then. Mitchell was the aggressor in the partnership and after a steady start to his innings, he took off as he launched seven sixes in his 91-ball innings. It also allowed Conway to play his natural game and the chase was a smooth ride for the tourists.
Earlier on, England got to a par score of 291 but it was an innings that lacked consistent momentum. If not for Liam Livingstone’s quickfire fifty at the back end, the score would have been much lesser. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes also produced fifties with the England captain scoring at a quick clip but neither batter got a complete grip of the two-paced surface. Stokes in particular struggled for rhythm and eventually succumbed to the frustration that was built up by New Zealand’s disciplined bowlers.
Buttler and Livingstone ensured that the hosts had a competitive total on the board but the surface in Cardiff did get better as is generally the case. It was also the reason why New Zealand chose to bowl after winning the toss. Apart from the trio, Dawid Malan was the other batter to get some rhythm but he couldn’t convert his start. Rachin Ravindra was the standout New Zealand bowler with a three-fer and his spell is what stifled England’s scoring in the middle overs.
Brief scores:
England 291/6 in 50 overs (Jos Buttler 72, Liam Livingstone 52, Ben Stokes 52; Rachin Ravindra 3-48) lost to New Zealand 297/2 in 45.4 overs (Daryl Mitchell 118*, Devon Conway 111*) by eight wickets
(Cricbuzz)