4 Oct 2023

Black Caps take on England in Cricket World Cup opener

From Morning Report, 8:57 am on 4 October 2023

The Black Caps begin their Cricket World Cup campaign in India on Thursday, in a repeat of the 2019 final - the heart-breaking loss to England at Lords which came down to a boundary count back. New Zealand are coming off back-to-back victories in tough warm-up matches, against Pakistan and South Africa. They aren't favoured to make the semi-finals of this edition of the tournament, but the Black Caps have been buoyed by the return of injured skipper Kane Williamson. Batter Daryl Mitchell will be a key player if the Black Caps are to make the finals - he told Morning Report producer Ben Strang it will be a tough tournament.