Cricket’s most prestigious tournament is set to begin on 5th October, 2023 with England taking on New Zealand in the tournament opener at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The opening match of the 2023 Cricket World Cup was also the final of the 2019 World Cup, where England beat New Zealand by the barest of margins. The two teams are set lock horns as they kickoff the World Cup with a bang.
What to Expect
New Zealand recently toured England and the two teams faced off in a 4 match ODI series, with England beating New Zealand 3-1. Dawid Malan was awarded the man of the series, scoring 277 runs in 3 innings while Ben Stokes made history by scoring the highest ODI individual score by an England batsman – 182. Other star performers was the returning Trent Boult, taking 8 wickets in just 2 inning’s at an economy of 5.44.
England look as favorite’s going into this match but they have a few problems facing them. Ben Stokes will be playing as a batsman, which might make them find a difficulty in finding 6 bowling options. New Zealand have been plagued with injuries, with skipper Kane Williamson and veteran bowler Tim Southee missing out.
Match timings
Match toss time: 13:30 IST (11:00 GMT)
Match start time: 14:00 IST (11:30 GMT)
Match venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Head-to-Head
Matches played: 95. ENG: 45. NZ: 44. N/R: 4. Tied: 2.
Notable Stats
Highest Run Scorer: Kane Williamson (983 Runs)
Highest Wicket Taker: Tim Southee (36 Wickets)
Weather Conditions: 33°C, Mostly Sunny
Average first Innings score: 242 runs (Last 5 ODIs played)
Team News and Probable Playing XI
England:
Dawid Malan, Johnny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (C & WK), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
New Zealand:
Will Young, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (C & WK), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
Predictions
SpogoNews predict England will win the opening match of the Cricket World Cup against New Zealand and they will open their account with 2 points.
See also: U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Launches Agora, Customized Platform for Team USA Athletes.
