ENG vs NZ: Ben Stokes’ masterclass helps England register mammoth win
The third ODI of the ongoing series between England and New Zealand saw both sides take on each other at The Oval in London on Wednesday, September 13. Coming in to bat first after losing the toss, England got off to a good start to the game.
Despite Jonny Bairstow getting out for a duck, Dawid Malan’s brilliant innings brought it right back for England. Scoring 96 runs in 95 deliveries, Malan provided some much-needed stability in the top order. Furthermore, with Joe Root failing to go big as well, it was Ben Stokes’ knock that was the highlight of the game.
The veteran all-rounder played one of the best innings of his career, scoring a mammoth 182 runs in 124 deliveries to bring New Zealand’s bowling attack to its knees. With skipper Jos Buttler adding 38 runs on the board, England posted 368 runs on the board in the first innings.
As for New Zealand, Trent Boult was the highest wicket-taker for the side with five wickets in 9.1 overs, conceding 51 runs. Benjamin Lister took three wickets as well, with Lockie Ferguson and Glenn Phillips striking once each.
Glenn Phillips’ knock in vain as England overpower New Zealand
Aiming to chase down a target of 369 runs, New Zealand got off to a horrid start to the game as openers Devon Conway and Will Young only managed to score 9 and 12 runs, respectively. Furthermore, things went from bad to worse as Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Latham failed to go big as well.
With the top order’s failure, it was the knock of Glenn Phillips that provided some hope to the Black Caps. Scoring 72 runs in 76 balls, Phillips was the highest run-getter for New Zealand, with Rachin Ravindra adding 28 runs on the board. However, through England’s brilliance with the ball, New Zealand were bundled out for a meagre 187 runs and lost the game by 181 runs.
England’s Chris Woakes was the highest wicket-taker for England, with three wickets to his name. Reece Topley took two wickets, with Liam Livingstone striking thrice, and Sam Curran and Moeen Ali taking one wicket each. With the win, England take the lead in the ODI series, and they will be keen on winning the fourth game to clinch the series as well.
