England vs New Zealand 1st ODI Highlights: Clinical Conway powers Kiwis to dominating victory

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A clinical New Zealand performance saw the Kiwis slay England in the 1st ODI in Cardiff on Friday (September 8). Tom Latham's men start their pre-World Cup preparation with an 8-wicket victory over the reigning Champions.

Ben Stokes played his ODI comeback match with a spectacular 52 off 69 balls. Dawid Malan, Jos Buttler, and Liam Livingstone also contributed half-centuries, aiding England to a total of 291 for six in their 50 overs.

England, without the services of Mark Wood, Sam Curran, and Moeen Ali, struggled to counter the destructive batting from Conway and Mitchell, who put on an unbeaten partnership of 180 from 152 balls propelling New Zealand to an impressive eight-wicket win.

Following a disappointing performance in the T20 series, Conway bounced back, scoring an unassailable 111 from 121 deliveries. Mitchell, on the other hand, produced an imposing 118 not out from 91 balls, hitting seven sixes to hasten New Zealand's victory.

This game marked the first ODI between the two sides since the unforgettable 2019 World Cup final. They will face each other once again in the opening match of this year's tournament in Ahmedabad on October 5.

Jos Buttler led England's scoring with 72 off 68 balls; Malan and Livingstone also put up commendable performances amidst speculation over their World Cup spots with Harry Brook vying for inclusion.

With Jonny Bairstow sidelined due to a shoulder issue, and Jason Roy battling a back spasm, Brook stepped in to open alongside Malan. The duo put on a stand of 80 runs in 15 overs with Malan score 54 from 53 balls.

Brook hopes to win over England's selectors with his performances after being left out of the initial World Cup squad. He made a boundary off the first ball he faced in List A cricket, while Malan showed his form with six fours in just 18 balls.

Ravindra managed to halt their progress with Malan returning to the pavilion caught behind his pads and Brook getting dismissed for 25 trying to defend a speedy Ferguson bouncer.

Despite a shaky start, Root scored six runs in his first ODI since July of last year before being caught by Mitchell off a Ravindra delivery. The latter only conceded eight runs in four overs before being hit over the boundary by an aggressive Buttler.

With the victory, the visitors have now taken a 1-0 lead in the series. The 2nd ODI is on Sunday at Southampton.