England and New Zealand commenced their four-match ODI series at Sophia Gardens on September 8. Despite losing the toss and being put in to bat first, England managed to put up an impressive 291-6, largely thanks to stellar performances from Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone.
Captain Buttler was the standout batsman for England, amassing an impressive 72 runs. Malan contributed a solid 54 runs to the tally, while Stokes and Livingstone both made valuable contributions of 52 runs each. Rachin Ravindra was the star bowler for New Zealand, securing a brilliant three-wicket haul. Tim Southee also chipped in with two wickets, and Lockie Ferguson added one to his name.
Adil Rashid’s magical delivery sends Will Young off
In their pursuit of this target, which came under challenging conditions, Devon Conway and Will Young provided New Zealand with a strong start. The duo swiftly took the team to 61 runs within just ten overs, and both openers were looking calm and composed at the crease. Amid this the hosts brought the experienced spinner Adil Rashid into the attack to bowl the first over after the powerplay, and he made an immediate impact.
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Rashid delivered a perfect delivery that landed on the middle stump and then spun away from the right-handed batter, crashing into the off-stump. The ball moved elegantly through the air before turning sharply off the pitch, completely outfoxing Young, who had to depart after contributing 29 runs from 33 balls. This crucial wicket also marked Rashid’s 100th ODI dismissal in England.
Here’s the video:
JAFFA! 😍
We have our first in Cardiff 👌 #EnglandCricket | #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/2bTqmZX6e2
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 8, 2023
Despite this setback, splendid centuries from Conway and Daryl Mitchell propelled New Zealand to a resounding eight-wicket victory in the opening match against England on Friday. The Blackcaps carried forward the momentum they had built during the latter part of the T20I series into this ODI encounter.
