NZ rout champs England in WC opener
October 06, 2023 00:00:00
Sachin Tendulkar (C), India's former cricket player and International Cricket Council (ICC) global ambassador for men's cricket World Cup 2023, gestures as he stands next to World Cup trophy before the start of the 2023 ICC men's cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday — AFP
AHMEDABAD, India, Oct 05 (AFP): Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra smashed centuries to power New Zealand to a crushing nine-wicket win over defending champions England in the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday.
England, who were without talismanic Ben Stokes due to a hip injury, were restricted to 282-9 after the Kiwis elected to bowl at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
The left-handed pair of Conway (152) and Ravindra (123) then put on an unbeaten stand of 273 for the second wicket as the Black Caps comfortably overhauled the target with 13.4 overs to spare.
The result was a contrast overhauled the target with 13.4 overs to spare.