New Zealand created history in the opening match of the ICC Cricket World Cup against England, becoming the team to complete a 250-run chase plus chase in the fastest time in terms of overs in the history of the World Cup. Chasing a total of 283 runs, the Kiwis chased it down in just 36.2 overs at a run-rate of 7.78. Centuries from both Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra helped NZ brutally beat the defending champions and make a fool of the target. Furthermore, the 273-run partnership between Conway and Ravindra is the highest partnership for any wicket for New Zealand in the history of the World Cup. Overall, it is the fourth highest partnership in World Cup history, with Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels’ partnership of 372 runs for the second wicket against Zimbabwe being the highest ever in the tournament’s history.
It is followed by India’s Sourav Ganguly-Rahul Dravid partnership of 318 runs against Sri Lanka in the 1999 Cricket World Cup and a 282-run stand between SL’s Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga against Zimbabwe in the 2011 edition of the tournament.
With a century in just 82 balls, Rachin smashed New Zealand’s fastest century in ODI World Cup history. Overall, the fastest World Cup century is owned by Irishman Kevin O’Brien against England in 2011, who came off just 50 balls.
Ravindra also became the third youngest overall and the youngest Kiwi batsman to smash a World Cup debut century. The youngest player to score a World Cup century on debut is India’s Virat Kohli, who scored a century at the age of 22 and 106 in the 2011 World Cup against Bangladesh.
Conway, on the other hand, is the second oldest to score a World Cup century at the age of 32 years and 89 days. The oldest to score a World Cup century is Ireland’s Jeremy Bray against Zimbabwe in 2007 at the age of 33 years and 105 days.
Conway is also the fastest Kiwi batsman to reach the milestone of 1,000 ODI runs, doing so in just 22 innings.
In 22 ODIs, Conway has scored 1,026 runs at an average of 54.00, with five centuries and three fifties in 22 innings. His best score is 152*.
The match saw NZ opt to act first and restricted England to 282/9 in 50 overs. Joe Root (77 in 86 balls with four boundaries and a six) held the entire innings together with his return to form fifty. But skipper Jos Buttler (43 in 42 balls with two fours and two sixes) and Jonny Bairstow (33 in 35 balls with four boundaries and a six) also contributed some decent knocks. For the first time in ODI history, all batters in a team achieved scores in double figures.
Matt Henry (3/48) was the pick of the bowlers for the Kiwis. Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips also used their spin bowling to stifle England’s run flow and took two wickets. Trent Boult and Rachin got a wicket each.
Chasing 283, NZ lost Will Young for a duck, but Conway (152* in 121 balls, with 19 fours and three sixes) and Ravindra (123* in 96 balls with 11 fours and five sixes) helped the Kiwis to victory with almost 14 overs in hand.
Ravindra took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
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