In Ahmedabad, New Zealand helped themselves to a slice of revenge that had been building for four years, handing England a devastating nine-wicket loss as their World Cup defense got off to a poor start.
To start off this year’s event, organizers planned a rematch of the 2019 final; but, they were forced to settle with an uneven match that fell far short of the drama of that Lord’s classic.
The first time around, England required a super over and a boundary countback to win the trophy. However, the second time around, the Black Caps cruised to victory with almost 14 overs to spare thanks to two magnificent hundreds from Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra.
Conway reached a final score of 152 not out, while Ravindra, another member of the Wellington team, scored an undefeated 123, more than double his previous ODI best. Despite losing some of their middle-order firepower due to Ben Stokes’ hip injury, the defending champions’ score of 282 for nine was insufficient to stop an amazing Kiwi chase.
