Sunday’s encounter is the first game of a three match ODI series between New Zealand and England.
The teams come into the series on the back of a rain affected T20I series that was won 1-0 by England.
England have won three of the last five ODIs against New Zealand. The Black Caps have won the other two, including their most recent encounter – a nine-wicket canter at the Cricket World Cup in October 2023.
New Zealand are currently the world’s third ranked ODI side. England, who has struggled in the format in recent times, come into the game ranked eighth (As it stands England are currently ranked lower than Afghanistan).
Speedster Jofra Archer will sit out the opening ODI against New Zealand as part of England’s fast-bowler load management program ahead of the Ashes. It’s a short-term blow for England as he is currently their highest ranked bowler.
New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell is the top ranked batsman in the series. He appears in sixth place on the ICC’s ODI batting list. Joe Root is England’s highest ranked batter in 19th spot.
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner (7th) and Matt Hanry (9th) are both rated inside the top ten of the
ICC Bowlers rankings while the highest ranked England player is Adil Rashid (8th).
Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
Bay Oval has played host to a total of 12 ODIs. There has never been a game at the venue that has ended as a No Result.
New Zealand have played at the venue 11 times, winning six and losing five.
England have never lost an ODI at this venue – they have played here just once previously, beating New Zealand by six wickets back in 2018.
There is no clear preference between batting first or fielding first. The skipper who has won the toss has chosen to bat first on six occasions and to field first on the other six.
Results are also evenly split between batting and fielding first with six wins apiece.
The average first innings score at the venue is a modest 235.
The highest ever score recorded at the ground is 371 for seven in 50 overs, made by New Zealand against Sri Lanka in 2019.
The highest score successfully chased at the venue was New Zealand’s 300 for five in 47.1 overs, made against India in 2020.
Weather:
Mount Maunganui is set for a fine Sunday with a full day’s cricket looking likely. There will be plenty of sunshine and a high UV index. The daytime is expected to be sunny with a pleasant top temperature of 19 degrees. A light westerly wind is predicted for the day. The evening will bring a change, becoming cloudy with the temperature dropping to a low of 13. A slight 10% chance of rain is forecast, but only for the night.
Form (most recent game first):
New Zealand: W, W, W, L, W.
England: W, L, L, W, W.
Key player:
New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra: Last time these two sides met Ravindra stroked an undefeated 123. He has had some bad luck with injuries in recent times, but he is fit and ready to go and he returns to the fray with an ODI batting average of 44.03. He is ranked 18th in the world in ODI, and although he hasn’t played an ODI game for a while, he has seen plenty of white-ball action. His average from the five games is a very useful 39.
England, Joe Root:
With an ODI average of 49.33, Root ranks amongst the all-time greats of the 50 over game. He is averaging 58.33 from his last three ODI knocks, with a century against South Africa last time out. With 19 centuries, 43 half tons and a highest ODI score of 166*, Root hardly ever fails – what makes his presence even more daunting for the Kiwis is the fact that he has an excellent record in New Zealand where he averages 69.50 per knock from his 11 innings to date.
Verdict: New Zealand
England are a very different team to the one that was whipped by New Zealand when these sides last faced each other. But they are still in the process of fighting their way out of a troubled period. New Zealand on the other hand is in good ODI form, they are playing at home, and they have a squad that is perfectly suited to the 50 over format. The return of Kane Williamson will also be a significant boost for the home side.
