Jos Buttler’s 129 and a hundred from Joe Root have helped launce the `new era’ of limited overs cricket for England with a record 210-run win over New Zealand in the first one-day international at Edgbaston.
It was England’s biggest victory, in terms of runs, in all ODI cricket beating the 202-run margin they achieved against India at Lord’s during the 1975 World Cup.
England’s total of 9-408 on Tuesday, their highest in all ODI cricket, was built on the back of hundreds by wicket-keeper Buttler and Joe Root (104).
It surpassed the 4-391 that England made against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2005 – the previous highest in any ODI in England.
Buttler’s stand of 177 with Adil Rashid (69) was also a new seventh-wicket record in all one-day internationals.
England then dismissed World Cup finalists New Zealand for 198 with more than 18 overs to spare, fast bowler Steven Finn (4-35) and leg-spinner Rashid (4-55) doing the bulk of the damage.
England had threatened a huge score while Root (104) and captain Eoin Morgan (50) were putting on 121 for the third wicket.
But they lost 4-31, including the well-set Morgan and Root.
It was a slump from which recent England one-day teams might not have recovered, but wicket-keeper Buttler and Rashid still had the confidence to go for their shots.
Trent Boult took 4-55 in his maximum 10 overs, but only two of those overs were faced by England’s seventh-wicket duo.
England’s total was a far cry from their meagre 123 during the Black Caps’ eight-wicket World Cup win in Wellington in February – the previous ODI between the teams.
That result formed part of New Zealand’s unbeaten run to the final, where they lost to fellow co-hosts Australia, whereas for England it was one of several defeats that contributed to a first-round exit.
However, New Zealand rested paceman Tim Southee, the bowling star of that match with 7-33, for this fixture following his efforts during the preceding 1-1 drawn Test series with England.
The Wellington match saw Brendon McCullum launch a savage assault on Finn, whose two overs cost 49 runs.
But the first over of New Zealand’s reply on Tuesday saw Finn clean bowl the advancing McCullum, which set the tone for the visitors’ poor chase as they lost their last six wickets for just 13 runs.
England’s ‘new era’ started with a whimper when the first ball of the match saw Jason Roy caught by Guptill at backward point off Boult.
Root rode his luck to press on to an excellent hundred off 71 balls, which included 12 fours and two sixes, and lead an impressive victory.
Root fell soon after his milestone, caught behind off Boult.
However, wicket-keeper Buttler and leg-spinner Rashid counter-attacked in fine fashion.
Buttler, whose maiden ODI century against Sri Lanka last year came in an England record 61 balls, took 66 for his second – the second-quickest by an Englishman.
The series continues at The Oval on Friday.
