Ahmedabad: England and New Zealand kicked off the 13th edition of the ODI World Cup on Thursday, with the defending champions losing their key player, Ben Stokes, to a hip injury. New Zealand’s acting captain, Tom Latham, won the toss and elected to bowl first.
England’s start was nothing special, with their top four players dismissed for 118 runs. The highlight of the early overs was Glenn Phillips’ dismissal of Moeen Ali. Phillips made his World Cup debut in this match and dismissed the English all-rounder in the very first over of his first match.
Phillips bowled a brilliant delivery that spun past Ali’s bat and hit the stumps. It was a dream start for the Kiwi all-rounder, who was playing in his first World Cup match.
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Other players who made their World Cup debut in this match include England’s Harry Brook and Sam Curran, and New Zealand’s Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra.
England eventually posted a total of 250 runs in 50 overs, thanks to a half-century from Joe Root. New Zealand are currently batting, and they are in a good position to win the match.
Phillips’ wicket of Ali was one of the highlights of the day, and it will be remembered for a long time to come. It was a perfect start to the World Cup for the Kiwi all-rounder, and it will give him a lot of confidence going forward.
