ICC Cricket World Cup: A look at how record books were re-written in NZ-ENG opener

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], October 6 (ANI): New Zealand made history during the ICC Cricket World Cup opening match against England, becoming the team completing a 250-run plus chase in the fastest time in terms of overs in the history of World Cup.

Chasing a total of 283 runs, the Kiwis chased it down in just 36.2 overs with a run-rate of 7.78. Centuries from both Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra helped NZ thrash the defending champions brutally and make a mockery of the target.

Also, 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 & 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 WC century is in the hands of Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien against England in 2011, which came off just 50 balls.

Ravindra also became the third youngest overall and youngest Kiwi batter to smash a World Cup debut century. The youngest player with a World Cup century on debut is India’s Virat Kohli, who scored a century aged 22 years and 106 days old during the 2011 WC 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 WC 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 batter 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*.

Coming to the match, NZ elected to field 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. However, 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) contributed some decent knocks too. For the first time ever in ODI history, all the batters in a team got 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 choke England’s run flow and took two wickets. Trent Boult and Rachin got a wicket each.

In the chase of 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 win with almost 14 overs in hand.

Ravindra took home the ‘Player of the Match’ award.