AHMEDABAD, INDIA - OCTOBER 05: Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand make their way off after an unbeaten 273 partnership following the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between England and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium on October 05, 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
AHMEDABAD, INDIA - OCTOBER 05: Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand make their way off after an unbeaten 273 partnership following the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023 between England and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium on October 05, 2023 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
Count back those boundaries. For the record England hit 27 and New Zealand 38, but there was no need for spurious tiebreakers as, after restricting their opponents to 282, the Black Caps savaged the reigning 50- and 20-over champions during a response in which practically every over was super. The final game of the last World Cup provided England’s cricket fans with some of their most treasured memories; the first of this one will have produced some of the most grisly.
New Zealand, meanwhile, will treasure those of Devon Conway, raising his bat to celebrate reaching 150, by battering another boundary in what was to be the penultimate over. They eventually cantered across the finish line with 82 balls to spare. There was no repeat of that famous day at Lord’s in 2019 when the action moved to Ahmedabad: instead of shredded nerves there were shredded records, and instead of an England win by the narrowest of margins there was emphatic, unarguable, almost barbaric defeat.
[Jos] Buttler’s players were thankful, no doubt, that there were not more viewers in the ground to witness matters. Those who did attend in person watched instead a dominant and brutal performance from New Zealand’s top order who put England’s below-par 282 into startling context. On their World Cup debuts, left-handers and fellow Wellingtonians Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra made stunning hundreds, combining in a record partnership for New Zealand in World Cups. England had no answer to them. New Zealand put the tournament on notice.
It was hard to know which was the more superlative hundred. Perhaps Ravindra’s is more worthy of initial mention, if only because Conway’s quality is more renowned. Ravindra’s is a good story, too, returning as he was to the land of his father, carrying a first name that was given to him in honour of a mix of Rahul (Dravid) and Sachin (Tendulkar). The quality of his stroke-play did not suffer in comparison to anyone. At 23 years old, it was a startling World Cup entrance and his hundred came in 82 balls, one quicker than Conway’s.
Devon Conway in action against England. Photo / Getty Images
England’s defence of their World Cup title began with a nine-wicket hammering at the hands of New Zealand in Ahmedabad.
The rematch of the final four years ago offered none of the tension of that Lord’s epic with the Black Caps cantering home in pursuit of 283.
They reached their target with 13.4 overs to spare – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra both hitting stunning centuries.
‘A defeat with flashes of those dark ages’
Vithushan Ehantharajah, ESPN Cricinfo
For all their endeavour, England were made to look more than 100 runs short. In the process, their pride and net run rate took a battering.
The last time they conceded more than their 81 for 1 in their first 10 overs came at the hands of a Brendon McCullum-inspired Black Caps pilfering 116 against them way back in 2015. And while they are a long way from the pedestrian team they were then, this was a defeat with flashes of those dark ages.
‘New Zealand were ruthless’
Josh Burrows, The Daily Telegraph
England’s defence of the Cricket World Cup got off to the worst imaginable start as they were hammered by nine wickets at the hands of an inspired New Zealand.
Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra each scored hundreds as England failed to get anywhere close to the levels with which many have become accustomed in recent years.
After being put into bat by New Zealand’s stand-in captain Tom Latham, England mustered just 289 from their 50 overs in Ahmedabad with several top-order batsmen failing to convert after making decent starts.
In response, New Zealand were ruthless. After losing Will Young early, Conway and Ravindra set about punishing the England attack, barely putting a foot wrong throughout their unbroken stand.
‘England had no answer’
Sky Sports
England were resoundingly beaten by New Zealand in the opening match of the 2023 Men’s Cricket World Cup, the Black Caps besting the defending champions by nine wickets to gain revenge for their 2019 final defeat.
After England posted a pretty pedestrian 282-9 from their 50 overs, having been put into bat, New Zealand romped to victory in 36.2 overs, with Devon Conway (152no) and Rachin Ravindra (123no) both notching scintillating centuries on their World Cup debuts.
Sam Curran (1-47) had taken the wicket of Will Young (0) with his first ball, but Chris Woakes and Mark Wood went round the park at the other end as Conway and Ravindra brought up the New Zealand 100 to start the 13th over.
England had no answer to the blistering run-scoring, the Kiwi pair serenely going through to three figures, with Conway reaching 150 shortly before New Zealand clinched a most emphatic of opening victories.
