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England were stunned by the batting of New Zealand opener Devon Conway as well as Daryl Mitchell, whose unbeaten 180-run stand led the Kiwis to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over their opponents and gave them a 1-0 lead in the four-match ODI series in Cardiff on Friday, September 8.
The Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell show
Chasing 292 for the win seemed daunting, but the duo of Conway and Mitchell made easy work of the target. Barring the wickets of Will Young (29) and Henry Nicholls (26), picked up David Willey and Adil Rashid respectively. But then, the Conway-Mitchell Express took off.
Conway ended the match in style by hitting his sole six of the game, quickly driving the ball over Liam Livingstone's head. With a remarkable 111 not out off 121 balls, he consistently set the pace for New Zealand. However, Mitchell brought the power, smashing seven sixes and seven fours to score an unbeaten 118 from just 91 balls. Together, they contributed to an outstanding 180-run partnership for the third wicket.
The return of Ben Stokes
Earlier, the biggest headline from the game was the return of 2019 ODI World Cup winner Ben Stokes to the 50-over format after 416 days.
Stokes marked his remarkable return with an impressive half-century.
Finding themselves at 80/2 after being asked to bat first, England saw Stokes step up to the plate, taking the crucial number four spot. He played a balanced innings, blending defence with aggressive shots. Together with captain Jos Buttler, who swiftly reached a 50 off 48 balls, the pair aimed to lay the foundation for a substantial total.
Stokes celebrated his fifty in a grand manner, sending Rachin Ravindra's delivery over the fence for a majestic six. Unfortunately, his inning came to an end just two balls later.
This ODI marks Stokes' first game in the format since July 19, 2022, when he played against South Africa. The cricket community was taken aback last year when the England Test captain opted out of ODIs, mentioning the difficulty of juggling all formats.
England battle to tough target
Jos Buttler was the highest scorer, crafting a hard-earned 72 runs from 68 balls. This came after he and Stokes capitalised on Dawid Malan's smooth 54 runs off 53 balls. Additionally, Livingstone scored his first international half-century since June 2022, achieving 52 runs from just 40 balls. This innings seemed pivotal for the team's overall score.
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