It was a forgettable ODI series for New Zealand in England as they lost it by 1-3 just ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. After winning the first ODI in Cardiff by 8 wickets, the momentum was in favor of the Kiwis, however, some spectacular performances by the hosts took the series away from the Blackcaps. England won the next three matches to dismantle the visitors at home, keeping their confidence high just before the World Cup.
On the other hand, there were some terrific performances from the New Zealanders with Trent Boult and Rachin Ravindra picking up 8 and 7 wickets respectively for their side. On the batting front, Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell scored a century each to show their strength going forward.
Let us take a look at the performances of the New Zealand players in the 4-match ODI series:
Batters
Devon Conway (6/10): With 141 runs in 4 matches, Devon Conway showed why he is one of the finest openers for New Zealand right now. He scored a scintillating ton in the first game that helped Kiwis win the match in style. The southpaw played with an average of 47 which is good in the ODI format. The opener would now want to play a crucial role in the upcoming World Cup in India.
Finn Allen (0/10): Finn Allen just played a single game in the series and he got out for a duck against David Willey in the first over of the match. It is said that he was the perfect replacement for Martin Guptill at the top of the order, however, he now has been overlooked by the management for the upcoming World Cup.
Will Young (4.5/10): Will Young got a decent start in every game, however, the right-hander failed to convert it into a big score. He scored 98 runs in the series with no half-centuries to his name. Though his strike rate of around 85 is impressive, the average is slightly on the lower side at 24. The 30-year-old is a talented player and would like to give his best shot in the upcoming World Cup.
Daryl Mitchell (8/10): Daryl Mitchell had an excellent series against England as he scored 196 runs in the four games with 118 runs being his highest in the series. The century came in the first encounter which New Zealand won by 8 wickets at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Daryl Mitchell scored an outstanding century against England in the first ODI
Mitchell scored at an average of 65 in the series and his big hits throughout were exceptional. The 32-year-old smashed 8 sixes in the series which is second highest with Ben Stokes leading the chart with 10 maximums.
Henry Nicholls (4/10): It has been an average series for Henry Nicholls as he scored just 71 runs in the three opportunities he got in the series. He played a crucial role in the final ODI with 41 runs but couldn’t take his side to a victory. Nicholls is an experienced cricketer for the Blackcaps who would have been crucial for the Kiwis in the World Cup, however, he missed the squad for the mega event.
Tom Latham (2/10): It was a forgettable series for Tom Latham as he couldn’t manage to score even a single half-century. With just 35 runs in three innings, Latham had a disastrous campaign against England, however, he is still a crucial member of the squad who can be handy in the upcoming World Cup in India.
Glenn Phillips (5.5/10): Glenn Phillips is a talented Kiwi player who scored 99 runs in four matches against England. His innings of 72 runs in the third ODI might have gone in vain but the right-hander was in complete flow that day. Chasing a target of 369 runs was never easy for New Zealand but the way Phillips showed his strength from one end was quite impressive.
All Rounders
Rachin Ravindra (8.5/10): New Zealand must be very happy with the way Rachin Ravindra performed against England. The 23-year-old impressed everyone in both departments with 93 runs in batting and 7 wickets in bowling.
His strike rate was around 130 while batting which was crucial for the Kiwis on certain occasions. He is a perfect fit for the all-rounder, also with the World Cup taking place in India, Ravindra can be more useful being a left-arm spinner.
Mitchell Santner (3.5/10): Mitchell Santner got injured in the 2nd ODI against England and therefore couldn’t play the remainder of the series. In the one-off match, he picked up a single wicket of Jos Buttler, however, the southpaw failed with the bat by just scoring 4 runs. Santner is expected to be fit before the World Cup as he is surely an effective player for New Zealand.
Bowlers
Matt Henry (3/10): With just 3 wickets in three matches, Matt Henry didn’t prove to be effective in English conditions. He bowled well in the first ODI but went wicketless, however, picked up a couple of wickets in the last ODI but gave away too many runs.
Henry is a much better bowler than this and would like to come back with a bang in the World Cup. He alongside Tim Southee and Trent Boult will be key for the Kiwis in the mega event in October.
Tim Southee was also ineffective for New Zealand against England in the ODI series
Tim Southee (3.5/10): One of the greats of New Zealand, Tim Southee had an average series against England as he picked up 4 wickets for 165 runs in three matches. The average was also on the higher side with over 41, however, Southee’s experience is a big factor for the Blackcaps in any game. Therefore, he would be an automatic choice in the playing XI going forward.
Trent Boult (9/10): With 8 wickets in two games, Trent Boult showed why he is one of the best fast bowlers in the world right now. He used the conditions well to grab wickets in both games. In the second ODI, the left-armer got the better of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, however, he picked up a fifer in the next ODI that went in a losing cause due to Ben Stokes’ remarkable innings of 182 off just 124 deliveries.
Kyle Jamieson (1.5/10): Kyle Jamieson has been quite effective for New Zealand in the longer format of the game to date but his ODI stats are not good as of now. In the series against England, the right-arm seamer could only pick up one wicket in three matches. Even his economy was on the higher side in every match which is not a good sign for New Zealand.
Ben Lister (4/10): Ben Lister got three wickets in the third ODI against England including the important wicket of Ben Stokes who was cruising towards his double century. Though he spent 69 runs in the game, his overall average in the series was 33 which is better than the other primary bowlers of New Zealand.Lockie Ferguson (3/10): Lockie Ferguson was another New Zealand bowler who couldn’t use the English conditions well and went for too many runs. The right-arm fast bowler picked up only two wickets in the two games that he played and went for 130 runs at an average of 65. Undoubtedly, Furguson is one of the fastest bowlers in the world right now but he has to keep a check on his line and length to pick up wickets.