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Holders Australia suffered a thumping by New Zealand of their ICC Males’s T20 World Cup opener however England launched their title cost with a win over Afghanistan on Saturday.

After every week of first-round matches in Australia, the World Cup hit excessive gear with the Tremendous 12 stage and two of the title favourites in motion for the primary time.

However Australia and England have been to have very completely different fortunes.

The hosts have been on the improper finish of an 89-run thrashing in entrance of a sell-out Sydney crowd as New Zealand emphatically avenged defeat within the remaining of final 12 months’s World Cup.

Devon Conway carried his bat with an impressive unbeaten 92 to assist New Zealand blast 200-3, earlier than Australia have been skittled for 111 in reply.

Conway’s knock got here from simply 58 balls with seven fours and two sixes, becoming a member of a choose group to make 90 or extra at a World Cup. Mitchell Santner and Tim Southee then each took three wickets every.

It was New Zealand males’s first win in opposition to Australia in Australia in any format since 2011.

Aaron Finch’s males now have their work lower out to emerge from a troublesome Group 1 with Afghanistan, England and qualifiers Eire and Sri Lanka awaiting them. Solely the highest two make the semi-finals.

“That’s an enormous loss within the context of the match,” stated Finch.

“We have been simply completely outplayed in all three sides. New Zealand got here at us laborious with the bat and their bowling was so disciplined.

“It hurts. It hurts our internet run fee, however we’re nonetheless going to be constructive.

“I feel we nonetheless again ourselves that we will win 4 (matches), and also you want a bit of little bit of luck alongside the way in which.”

Australia subsequent play Asian champions Sri Lanka on Tuesday. New Zealand face Afghanistan a day after.

“I feel for us it’s near an ideal sport as a collective unit,” stated man-of-the-match Conway.

Curran luggage 5 for England

In distinction to Australia’s dismal begin, England have been just about at all times in management in opposition to Afghanistan in Perth in a five-wicket win.

Sterner checks await in what’s the more durable of the 2 Tremendous 12 teams.

Sam Curran did the majority of the harm as he returned exceptional figures of 5-10 – the primary England bowler to take 5 wickets in males’s T20Is – and assist bundle the Afghans out for a below-par 112 in 19.4 overs.

England have been particularly spectacular within the discipline with numerous beautiful catches, together with by Adil Rashid operating backwards to finish a wonderful take at deep mid-on to ship again Najibullah Zadran.

Jos Buttler’s strongly fancied facet didn’t sparkle in reply however they acquired the job executed with 11 balls remaining and subsequent play Eire on Wednesday.

Liam Livingstone was the choose of the England batters with an unbeaten 29 off 21 balls to information them dwelling.

“Coming into the match there have been a couple of nerves. To get on the market and get a win was incredible,” stated Buttler, who’s main England for the primary time at a worldwide match and in addition joined within the catching heroics.

“We have been challenged and felt like we needed to pay respects to the bowlers. May have been extra fluent, however full credit score to Afghanistan,” he added.

Mohammad Nabi, the Afghanistan skipper, referred to as England “one of the best T20 crew on this planet”.

“Boys performed very well,” he stated, including: “We’ll study and we hope we enhance within the subsequent sport.”

On Sunday arch-rivals India and Pakistan conflict in a Group 2 blockbuster and Sri Lanka play Eire.