The Oval ODI preview: England look to build on fantastic start

Tags: New Zealand tour of England 2015, England Vs New Zealand 2nd ODI at The Oval - Jun 12, 2015, England, New Zealand

Published on: Jun 12, 2015

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There was something unbelievable about England’s performance at Edgbaston. They put up a brilliant batting show to post 400 plus for the first time in ODIs

There was something unbelievable about England’s performance at Edgbaston. They put up a brilliant batting show to post 400 plus for the first time in ODIs. Then, they came up with an equally impressive bowling effort, although their task was made much easier due to their batters, to register their biggest ever win in one-dayers. While the win would have given the Englishman a different level of confidence, they will also be under pressure now since the expectations from them would be heightened. Living up to the same will be as challenging as their previous task of proving themselves.

Match: England vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI at Oval

Time: Match begins at 13:00 local time (12:00 GMT | 7:30 PM IST)

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England can derive plenty of positives from the match, after all it was their biggest win in terms of runs. Jos Buttler without doubt was the most impressive of all. The England wicket-keeper has made an impression ever since he entered the English side, and with every match-winning innings that he is plays, he is becoming an inseparable part of the current England outfit. He is definitely the new age cricketer England have been so desperately seeking. Joe Root also batted very elegantly for his hundred. His presence at number three has made England stronger at number three.

While Root and Buttler made hundreds, an equally significant effort came from Adil Rashid, the all-rounder making a comeback to the side after an unimpressive debut a few years back. He batted with a lot of freedom, and his leg-spinners were good enough to trouble good players like Kane Williamson and Luke Ronchi. The game was also important for Steven Finn’s confidence. The last time these two sides met, he was absolutely murdered by Brendon McCullum. On this occasion, he got his nemesis and finished with four wickets.


It is too early for New Zealand to worry about their one-day form, but the bowling effort should concern them as it was a completely insipid one. Apart from Trent Boult, no one made any kind of impression on the Englishmen. In all probability, Tim Southee should come in to replace Mitchell McClenaghan, who conceded nearly 100 in the first ODI. But, McCullum might also need to rethink his tactic of bowling out Boult early, since the rest struggled at Edgbaston. The likes of Matt Henry and Nathan McCullum will need to show significant improvement in their performances.


With the bat, New Zealand had a complete off day in the first ODI, but the most disappointing aspect was that four of them crossed 20, but only Ross Taylor went on to go past the fifty mark. They have batsmen who can definitely do better. One thinks the Kiwis would be aware at the back of their minds that they are much better than the kind of effort they put up at Edgbaston. So while England will look to build on their record triumph, New Zealand would seek return to normalcy.


--By A Cricket Analyst

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