A rapid century from Jos Buttler, the second fastest in England’s one-day international history, propelled England to a record total on the way to a 210-run victory over New Zealand at Edgbaston.
The Lancashire wicketkeeper scored 129 off 77 balls, sharing in a world record 177-run seventh-wicket stand with Adil Rashid, as the home side amassed 408-9 from their 50 overs in the opening match of the Royal London One-Day Series in Birmingham.
Rashid and Steven Finn then took four wickets each as the tourists were reduced to 198 all out in 31.1 overs.
England’s brave new world in ODI cricket got off to the worst possible start after Eoin Morgan lost the toss; Jason Roy being caught at point off the first delivery of the match, handing New Zealand left-armer Trent Boult the first of his four wickets.
But following pre-match talk of a more cavalier approach to batting during a brand new World Cup cycle, Nottinghamshire’s Alex Hales combined with Joe Root to ensure that England’s run-rate was unaffected by the early setback.
The duo added 50 in 43 balls before Hales, who had looked in supreme touch, miscued an attempted pull off Boult and was caught at square-leg by Matt Henry for 20.
Root continued to attack, reaching his fifty in 41 balls with seven fours, and the Yorkshireman found a likeminded partner in his captain who led from the front by coming at the New Zealand bowling from ball one.
The 16th over of the innings, bowled by Nathan McCullum, costs 16 and included a dropped catch by Ross Taylor which reprieved Root who at the time was on 61.
Morgan welcomed New Zealand’s World Cup hero Grant Elliott to the attack by launching him for six over long-off and, with an extraordinary upper-cut maximum off McClenaghan, the captain brought up the century partnership off 84 deliveries.
The next landmark was the captain’s half-century, brought up in 45 balls with one four and three sixes. Moments later, Root launched Elliott for a straight maximum to move into the 90s.
Morgan was unable to add to his 50 as McLenaghan trapped him lbw, the Irishman’s partnership with Root having been worth 121 off 96 balls.
Root’s century arrived in just 71 deliveries, with 12 fours and two sixes, when he drove Henry down the ground for two runs – the fifth century of the 24-year-old’s one-day international career and, at the time, the third fastest ever for his country in the 50 over format.
Root had provided fine entertainment for the Edgbaston crowd, but he was out in the 25th over for 104, edging behind off Boult to hand the Kiwi opening bowler his third dismissal.
And the left-arm paceman, who was the joint leading wicket taker at the World Cup, had his fourth when Ben Stokes played on for ten attempting to pull.
When Sam Billings lost the battle of the debutants to depart lbw to Mitchell Santner for three, England had lost three fort 35 in 7.2 overs and, at 202-6, were in danger of undoing Root and Morgan’s earlier sterling work.
Jos Buttler and Adil Rashid, however, allowed themselves a brief period of reconnaissance, but they were soon embarking on a devastating counter-offensive.
Buttler reached his half-century off a relatively sedate 42 balls with four fours and a six before exploding into life and reaching his second ODI ton just 23 balls later.
The back-to-back strokes that brought up the milestone were vintage Buttler, an ingenious ramp followed by a classic cover drive, both off McClenaghan, before celebrating by taking 17 off an Elliott over.
When the wicketkeeper-batsman was finally dismissed, caught at square-leg off the bowling of McClenaghan, he had scored 129, off 77 balls, with 13 fours and five sixes.
Far from content to play the supporting role, Rashid, playing his seventh ODI, also made hay at the other end, scoring 69 off 50 balls. The Yorkshireman’s stand of 177 with Buttler was a world record for the seventh wicket in ODI cricket.
After Rashid holed out to long-on off the bowling of Elliott, his Yorkshire teammate Liam Plunkett launched two successive sixes that propelled the home side beyond 400.
In response, Brendon McCullum scored ten off his first three deliveries before swinging and missing at Stephen Finn, who bowled the New Zealand captain with a fast and accurate yorker.
Martin Guptill struck four authoritative boundaries en route to 22 before backing away, wafting at Finn and falling to a straightforward catch at the wicket by Buttler.
Rashid got among the wickets when Root sprinted in from long-off to snare a Kane Williamson miscue after the New Zealand number three had scored 45.
But Ross Taylor played sensibly to pass 50 in 46 balls with five fours and a six and, at 158-3 after 22.5 overs, the Black Caps had not yet given up hope of chasing their target.
The run out of Elliott by Billings with the South African born all-rounder on 24 was, however, a bitter blow for the World Cup finalists, proving to be the first of seven wickets to fall, for the addition of just 38 runs, as 160-3 became 198 all out in the space of just 8.1 overs.
Rashid collected two in two balls as Santner was pouched at slip by Chris Jordan for 15 and Luke Ronchi was bowled for a first ball duck.
Taylor was lbw to Finn for 57 and, as Henry was lbw to Rashid to hand the Yorkshireman career-best figures of 4-55, England were just two more poles from victory.
Jordan took the catch to dismiss Nathan McCullum and complete Finn’s impressive figures of 4-35. The Sussex paceman then ensured a one in his own wickets column by dismissing McClenaghan, caught in the deep by Hales for two, to wrap up an emphatic victory.
Trent Bridge hosts the fourth Royal London One-Day International between England and New Zealand on Wednesday 17 June. Don’t miss the chance to watch England’s rivalry against the Kiwis continue with explosive white ball action and secure your seat now.
