Opener Devon Conway and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra propelled New Zealand to a resounding victory in their World Cup opener against defending champions England. Chasing a tricky score of 283, the Kiwi duo delivered a masterclass in batting, with Ravindra amassing an impressive 123 of 96 deliveries, and Conway remaining unbeaten with his career-best 152* of 121 balls.
Ravindra and Conway’s momentous 273-run stand not only helped New Zealand thrash England, but they also etched their names in the history books for the fourth-highest partnership in World Cup history.
After winning the toss, New Zealand’s stand-in Captain Tom Latham decided to field first.
The English batters kept losing wickets at regular intervals, with former captain Joe Root trying his best to stabilize the innings with his 86-ball 77.
Matt Henry was the pick of the bowlers as the pacer pocketed three wickets and gave away just 48 runs in his 10 overs. Off-spinner Mitchell Santner also bowled beautifully, bagging two wickets while going for only 37 runs. Interestingly, he did not concede a single boundary in the whole innings.
New Zealand began their chase with an early setback as Sam Curran removed opener Will Young in the second over. But what followed was absolute carnage, as Conway and Ravindra stitched a 273-run stand and chased down the total with a whopping 78 balls to spare.
Rachin Ravindra was adjudged Player of the Match for his breakthrough century which included 11 fours and 5 massive sixes.
Final scores:
England: 282-9 (50.0)
New Zealand: 283-1(36.4)