One-day cricket is not too difficult. You need to bat well for 50 overs, put up a competitive total, bowl well for at least 45 overs and hold on to most of your catches. On second thought, that does sound difficult! And England would agree. On a day when they should have done the basics right, they did everything possible to make sure they lost.

Batting first, Ed Joyce was out almost before anyone knew what had happened. Chasing a wide one, he threw his wicket away on the first legitimate ball of the match (there was a no-ball before this one!). Shane Bond then bottled up the other end and his combination of pace and the lack of it kept the English batsmen guessing all along. But they never really rebuilt after a couple of early losses.

England tried hard to rebuild on a slightly uncertain pitch through captain Michael Vaughan and then through Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood. Till such time that Pietersen and Collingwood were together, England promised a big total. But soon after Collingwood fell, four more English wickets fell in a heap and England looked familiar again!

For all the progress they made against Australia in the last couple of games in the CB Series, England has taken a major step back with this loss. New Zealand just did the basics right. They held on to their catches and when the time came to bat, they ensured there was a good partnership to see them home.

England managed to reach their final score of 209 thanks to a later partnership of 70-plus between wicket-keeper Paul Nixon and Liam Plunkett. When the two came together, England looked like they would not even reach 160. At the end, 209 looked defendable, and England also started well picking up three quick wickets.

Scott Styris, 87*, was dropped by Kevin Pietersen when New Zealand was not even 150 and this was the last real chance they had of getting back into the game. On one side there was a blinder of a catch by Andrew Flintoff in the slips to get rid of Ross Taylor and on the other, there was this easy drop by Pietersen summing up the kind of team England are.

Jacob Oram (63*) and Styris then put together the kind of partnership that wins matches and they won it! Oram has been in tremendous form of late and despite a broken finger, is the key player for the Black Caps. Watch out for him.

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New Zealand all-rounder and Man of the Match, Scott Styris
On winning the opening game
"It was a nervy, nervy win. It is a great relief to get the two points in the bank. This first game could have a massive bearing, certainly on the next stage."

On his unbeaten knock of 87 runs
"I haven't played very well since I came back from a back injury so it is great to contribute," Styris told reporters

On competition within the New Zealand team
"I knew the heat was on me to go out and deliver. It is the sign of a good side when you can't take your position for granted."

On not being considered a force to reckon with
"I've been around for a while. I don't have a point to prove to anyone."

On Kiwi bowling
"Today was ideal to get the big guns, Flintoff and Pietersen, so quickly. It really cut down the 250 score," he said

England captain, Michael Vaughan
On failing to capitalize after the early breakthroughs
"In the field we had a small sniff of an opportunity to beat them when they were four down,"

On playing the next match immediately on Sunday against Canada
"I think it is a good thing that we play so soon. We know the conditions here now. We will certainly be picking what we think is the best XI against Canada," he added

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