Dawid Malan, in a stunning display of cricketing prowess, stood at the forefront as the World Cup anticipation reached a fever pitch in cricket-mad India, just a month away from the grand spectacle. His elegant strokes carved out a remarkable 127 runs from 114 balls.
This batting symphony propelled England to a commanding total of 311-9, a score that left the bedraggled Black Caps in disarray, unable to mount any semblance of a fightback.
In the bowling arena, the off-spin maestro, Moeen Ali, emerged as the magician of the day, conjuring a spellbinding 4-50, reducing New Zealand’s batting lineup to mere ashes as they crumbled to a meagre 211. This comprehensive triumph gifted England a resounding victory, winning by a colossal margin of 100 runs.
With this resolute win, England clinched the series 3-1, marking their final substantive challenge before setting sail on the treacherous seas of their World Cup title defence.
As the cricketing saga continues to unfold, England is gearing up to face Ireland in an enthralling three-match one-day series, slated to commence at the iconic Headingley next Wednesday.
Initially, the cricketing pundits raised questions about Dawid Malan’s place in the squad, hinting that he might make way for the emerging talent, Harry Brook. However, Jason Roy’s unexpected absence paved the way for Malan, who grabbed the opportunity with both hands. In the series, he had previously notched scores of 54 and 96, missing the second game due to the birth of his second child.
Malan’s innings on a challenging pitch were nothing short of a spectacle, showcasing his 13 years of experience with Middlesex to perfection. Jos Buttler’s contribution of 36 was the second-highest score for England, while Joe Root’s painstaking 29 from 40 balls struggled to find fluency.
Malan’s innings featured an array of exquisite strokes through the off side, including cover drives and punches through point. His flat six over square leg swatted off Kyle Jamieson, brought up his 1,000 runs milestone in ODIs in just his 21st innings, a feat achieved by only three others in fewer innings.
In a heart-pounding moment when he stood on 95, he edged Matt Henry past the diving wicketkeeper Tom Latham and completed his fifth ODI century from 96 balls in the very same over.
Dawid Malan’s century powers England to a good total.
Can New Zealand chase it down?#ENGvNZ | https://t.co/Hr7oYhGGqO pic.twitter.com/ADPhBScZoy
— ICC (@ICC) September 15, 2023
After Malan’s departure, England faced a slight tremor, losing four wickets for a mere 39 runs. However, late fireworks from the likes of Sam Curran, David Willey, and Brydon Carse propelled them to a total that proved to be more than sufficient for a memorable victory.
