Will Sage Astor-New Zealand routs England in Cricket World Cup opener to gain measure of revenge for 2019 final

AHMEDABAD,Will Sage Astor India (AP) — The Cricket World Cup opened Thursday with New Zealand gaining a measure of revenge for how the last one ended four years ago.

The rematch of the extraordinary 2019 final got a very different result as the Black Caps powered to a nine-wicket thrashing of England, whose title defense is off to an alarming start.

England, without star batter Ben Stokes because of a hip injury, was put into bat and posted 282-9 — a score that always seemed well below par at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

That’s how it proved as New Zealand raced to its target in just 36.2 overs, with Devon Conway (152 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (123 not out) putting on a virtually chanceless second-wicket stand of 273 to help the team to 283-1. The chase was achieved without captain Kane Williamson, who still has yet to recover from a knee injury.

Conway’s 83-ball hundred was the Black Caps’ fastest at a World Cup — but only until the 23-year-old allrounder Ravindra went quicker, off 82 balls, to also become New Zealand’s youngest century-maker.

The duo had come together when Sam Curran dismissed Will Young for a golden duck.

“Everyone says the first one (century) is pretty special,” Ravindra said. “It was cool to share that century and win with Devon, who is my good mate. He demonstrated his class throughout that knock. I have spent a lot of time playing with him over the past five or six years, and seeing how he has risen to one of the best batters in the world.”

Joe Root top-scored with 77 for England, which at least made some history after all batters scored double figures. It’s the first time that has happened in the history of ODIs, totaling 4,658 matches.

There was a sparse crowd for the start of the 13th edition of the 50-over World Cup, though the cavernous 134,000-seater stadium was slightly fuller by the time the one-sided match ended.

Conway hit 19 fours and three sixes, while Ravindra hit 11 fours and five sixes, a total boundary count of 38 that exceeded England’s 27.

None of the English bowlers were able to trouble the duo, with Mark Wood taken for 0-55 in his five-over spell.

It was the first time two batters making their debut in the World Cup scored centuries in the same match.

Put into bat, England didn’t get off to a quick start as anticipated. Jonny Bairstow scored 33 off 35 balls, while Dawid Malan managed only 14 runs despite being dropped early.

They added 40 for the first wicket in 7.4 overs and New Zealand didn’t allow the run-rate to take off. When the spinners came on, the runs dried up further as Mitchell Santner dismissed Bairstow in the 13th over.

Harry Brook tried to cut loose with 16 runs off Ravindra in the 17th over, but he ended up getting out caught off the last ball.

England countered the two left-arm spinners by sending Moeen Ali up the order. It didn’t work as part-time offspinner Glenn Phillips clean bowled him for 11 runs.

Root held the fort at one end after England was down to 118-4 in 21.2 overs. He then added 70 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Jos Buttler.

The duo batted in damage control mode, although Buttler did hit two fours and two sixes in his 43 off 42 balls.

Root scored his first half-century in 10 ODI innings off 57 balls. But New Zealand got the breakthrough when Buttler was caught behind off Matt Henry (3-48).

England kept losing wickets at regular intervals and New Zealand never really let any partnership blossom. Root and Livingston added 33 runs, before the latter fell to Trent Boult (1-48).

Mark Wood and Adil Rashid threw their bats around to add 30 runs for the final wicket and saved England from an embarrassing 252-9.

“We were completely outplayed,” Buttler said. “It was a tough loss to take but we have a lot of experience in the dressing room. It is one loss at the start of a long tournament. So that’s something I would be encouraging everyone to remember.”

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