England’s batters script history in ODI cricket; all 11 players make double-figure runs in ICC World Cup opener

England created history in the ICC World Cup opener against New Zealand. Batting first, every member on the team (all eleven on the pitch) scored more than ten runs. This is the first time a team has scored 11 double-figures in 4,658 fifty-over matches.

Even before the game began, England's batting lineup depth was well-appreciated. New Zealand, on the other hand, made consistent inroads through England's long batting order, limiting the reigning champions to a modest 282 for the loss of 9 wickets.

The first runs of the 2023 World Cup came off a six, as Jonny Bairstow (33 off 35 balls, 4x4s, 1x6s) cleared the backward square ropes with a flick off the pads on Trent Boult's (1/48) second delivery of the tournament. A boundary soon followed as England scored 12 runs in the first over to make their intentions clear, but things altered after that.

Glenn Phillips delivered an unexpected but successful spell of 3-0-17-2, dismissing Joe Root (77) and Moeen Ali (11) with his part-time spin, while Mitchell Santner's 10-0-37-2 and Matt Henry's 10-1-48-3 were the key performances that helped New Zealand keep England well under 300 on a calm surface.

In the absence of left-handed Ben Stokes, England's decision to promote Moeen to bowl spin in the middle order did not bear fruit.

After an early struggle, a 70-run partnership between Root and Jos Buttler (43 from 42 balls, 2x4s, 2x6s) for the fifth wicket gave England hope of a major comeback, but Henry returned to have the England captain caught behind and pegged them back again.

Buttler was guilty of playing the ball too close to his body in an attempt to direct it down, but merely edged it behind as another England batting star failed to convert his start into a huge score.

Having not played much ODI cricket in the last four years, Root's 36th fifty — which included a ramp shot for six — was a remarkable effort, but the senior batsman was guilty of throwing away his wicket.

Root attempted a reverse sweep against Phillips' part-time spin — who has also kept wickets for the Kiwis in the past — but failed to connect and walked away with an 86-ball 77 (4x4s, 1x6s).