England v New Zealand – 1st ODI Review – England Record Massive Win

England record a morale boosting win over New Zealand as they crush the Black Caps by 210 runs with centuries for Joe Root and Jos Buttler, with Adil Rashid and Steven Finn impressing with the ball.

England’s new era saw Jason Roy and Sam Billings come into the side and Adil Rashid returning to the side after almost six years and the false start in Malhide in May ruined the comeback. For New Zealand, the major loss since the World Cup is the retirement of veteran spinner Daniel Vetorri with, Nathan McCullum in for the left-armer. Elsewhere Corey Anderson is still injured and so was replaced by new boy Mitchell Santner whilst Mitchell McClenaghan replaced the rested Tim Southee.

New Zealand won the toss and inserted England into bat and it looked to be the perfect start for the Black Caps as Roy hit Trent Boult straight to Martin Guptill at backward point with the first ball of the match as England’s new dawn got off to the worst possible start.

However it didn’t stop England’s brand change from starting as golden boy Joe Root and Alex Hales quickly accelerated the score going to 50 inside eight overs before Hales mistimed a pull off Boult, which Matt Henry gleefully accepted.

Whereas in the past England would have shut up shop and gone into their shell’s the two most experienced batsman Root and skipper Eoin Morgan increased the scoring rate with the former reaching his half-century off just 40 balls. Some inventive field placements by McCullum failed to rattle Morgan who looked like the player of old as he took on the New Zealand attack reaching his own half-century off 45 balls which included three huge sixes.

Morgan would reach 50 and out as he missed a full McClenaghan ball and was adjudged LBW. Morgan reviewed but there was to be no reprieve for the skipper. Ben Stokes joined Root at the crease and could only watch in awe as Root reached his century off just 71 balls,the third fastest by an Englishman with the Yorkshire batsman hit 12 fours and 2 sixes.

Shortly after bringing his century up, Root was himself on his way back to the pavilion as he edged behind to Luke Ronchi behind the stumps for Boult’s third wicket of the day with the batsman still looking to take the game to the New Zealanders. Next to go was Stokes who chopped on to Boult again who was bringing his side back into the game as England’s promising start was in danger of falling apart.

The second of the England debutants Billings, strode to the crease to join wicketkeeper Jos Buttler but was another to not last long as England collapsed to 202-6 with Santner getting his first international wicket after a review went the Black Caps way.

Buttler and the returning Rashid set about repairing the damage and building a partnership with England still going at well over six an over with the Yorkshire spinner taking the attacking intent with the England wicketkeeper content to rotate the strike as England’s achilles heel, the powerplay was imminent.

Buttler soon began to turn the screw, hitting the ball to all parts of Edgbaston as ‘Brand England’ was well underway with first Buttler’s half-century coming up before he raced along hitting boundaries to bring up the second century of the innings from just 66 balls before departing for an outstanding 129 in the final few overs and another special innings.

Rashid would continue his unorthodox batting, bringing up his own half century with a constant knack for finding the gaps but first Jordan and then Rashid would fall in successive balls in the final over but by this time England had hit their highest ever score with the fireworks still not over however, as Liam Plunkett launched Grant Elliott into the stands for two maximums from the final three balls as the crowd saw England hit over 400 for the first time.