England might have given New Zealand a lesson in power during last week’s T20 series, but the Black Caps more than got their own back to take the first One Day International (ODI) in Tauranga.
In securing their first home victory of the Rob Walter era, the Black Caps cruised to a four-wicket win over Brendon McCullum’s England at Bay Oval, getting home with 80 deliveries in the bank.
With one eye on the start of next month’s Ashes clash against Australia, England looked every bit the side who have won just one ODI series in their last eight attempts.
An opening burst from Zak Foulkes (4/41) and Matt Henry (2/53) reduced the tourists to 56/6, and denied England the chance to build a total.
Only a captain’s knock from Harry Brook (135 off 101 balls) provided any respectability to the scorecard, as his side were bowled out for 223.
Brook’s innings, which contained 11 sixes, saw him named man of the match, even in defeat.
But while England were able to score at better than a run a ball, losing all 10 wickets in just 35.2 overs opened the door for the Black Caps to control the run chase at the tempo of their choosing.
A top order wobble of their own saw the Black Caps reduced to 24/3, and then 66/4, but a 92-run stand and pair of half-centuries to Daryl Mitchell (78 not out off 91) and Michael Bracewell (51 off 51) did the bulk of the work.
Not even the first golden duck of Kane Williamson’s ODI career could halt New Zealand’s surge to victory, as the Black Caps begin in earnest their path to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.
England, meanwhile, will look to bounce back in a format where their commitment can perhaps be questioned - given their own domestic level sees their best players’ involvement restricted to the international arena, and players largely picked out of T20 cricket.
The tourists committed the cardinal sin of ODI cricket, not batting their full allotment of overs, and leaving 88 deliveries unused. And as their bowlers showed they could take Kiwi wickets, an extra 50 runs could have been the difference between the two sides.
While captain Mitchell Santner deciding to bowl first in Christchurch went some way to New Zealand losing the T20 series, it paid dividends for the first match in the ODIs.
After arriving for the 50 over matches, Jamie Smith’s first innings on Kiwi soil lasted just one ball, as Henry nipped a ball past the bat and into the stumps.
Effectively making his ODI debut for the second time - after his first was washed out without him bowling a delivery - Zak Foulkes joined Henry’s party with the new ball.
Foulkes’ third ball saw an outswinger that took the edge of Ben Duckett’s (2) bat through to a diving Tom Latham. His sixth was even better, and nipped back to leave England’s best batter, Joe Root, defenceless as he lost his stumps for two at 5/3.
Not content with taking out England’s all-time leading scorer, Foulkes then had their next big thing. A swinging yorker proved too good for Jacob Bethell, who followed Smith and Root in losing his stumps for two.
Jos Buttler came and went for four, when he edged Henry to Latham, and when Sam Curran was also caught behind off Foulkes for six, England were 56/6.
Brook, though, stood tall as England’s lone hand. As part of an 87-run partnership with Jamie Overton (46), Brook raised his own 50 in 36 balls, and continued to score at better than a run a ball.
Jacob Duffy (3/55) struck thrice through the middle overs, and left Brook with no choice but to attack in the hope of lifting England’s total. Not helping the Black Caps’ cause, Brook was put down on 63 by Rachin Ravindra, and made the Kiwi attack pay.
On 85 when the No 11 walked to the crease, three successive sixes off Duffy took Brook to his second ODI century, off just 82 balls - with nine fours and seven sixes.
Brook would clear the fence a further four times on his way to his career-best score, but was the last man to fall when he hit Santner (1/22) to Nathan Smith at deep midwicket.
All up, Brook had scored 135, the rest of England’s batting order had made 71 runs, with a further 17 in extras.
In reply, the Black Caps’ top order were hit by Brydon Carse (3/45); a yorker beat Will Young (5) for pace to disturb the stumps, before getting Kane Williamson first ball with a delivery that kissed the outside edge through to Buttler.
Rachin Ravindra survived Carse’s hat-trick ball, but when he edged Luke Wood to Overton at second slip for 17, the Black Caps were 24/3, and 200 runs away from victory.
Latham helped stop the wobble, and added 42 for the fourth wicket with Mitchell to guide the Black Caps to 59/3 at the end of the power play. Two overs later, he missed a straight ball, and was trapped in front to give Carse his third wicket.
Despite a scare when he was dropped on two by Root at slip, Bracewell took charge of the chase, and added a 50-stand with Mitchell in 55 balls. Mitchell was given a life on 33 when he was put down by Wood at backward point, as an asking run rate of less than four an over saw victory slip further and further away from England.
Mitchell was the first to reach his fifty, raising his from 61 balls with a push to mid-off off Curran, before Bracewell joined him two balls later with a pull through square leg, his coming in 50 balls.
Bracewell wouldn’t add to his score, after he was run out by Overton attempting to snatch a single, and had to depart after adding 92 in 92 balls with Mitchell, and lifting the Black Caps from 66/4 to 158/5.
As victory crept closer and closer, Santner saw his opportunity, and went on the attack against Adil Rashid, launching two sixes in one over, even if he fell for 27 off 25 attempting the third.
And needing 17 runs from the final 92 balls as Smith arrived at the crease, Mitchell needed no second invitation, and took 12 runs from what turned out to be the final over, to get the Black Caps home.
New Zealand can seal the series as early as Wednesday, as both teams head to Hamilton for game two.
England 223 all out (Brook 135; Foulkes 4/41)
New Zealand 224/6 (Mitchell 78 not out; Carse 3/45)
New Zealand win by four wickets