ACCORDING TO OUR REPORT
TOSS WINNER : NEW ZEALAND
MATCH WINNER : ENGLAND
ENG VS NZ MATCH & ANALYSIS
England is a fantastic colored-clothing squad that ranks first in both white-ball variants of the game, although their fortunes in the longest version of the game have changed. England will be looking to get some continuity in red-ball cricket and make a point in their first match back at home in a long time. It won’t be easy, especially since their next assignment pits them against the Kiwis.
England is preparing to host New Zealand for a two-match series that will be crucial for both teams. England will be looking to reclaim their supremacy in the longer format of the game, while the focus will be on becoming well-prepared for the World Test Championship final.
The first test of the series will take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on June 2, 2021. New Zealand and England are two of the best-equipped teams to ever play on English soil, so this series should be exciting. There will undoubtedly be a feast for the fans.
ENG VS NZ TEAM PREVIEWS
ENGLAND
With their team selection selections for this test series against England, the England Cricket Board and selectors have undoubtedly shocked everyone. All eight players who competed in the Indian Premier League have been rested, and England will enter the series with a mostly second-string squad. It makes sense to rest a handful of players, such as Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, but it doesn’t make sense to rest the other six, especially when the IPL has been slashed in half.
While England has enjoyed a great run in limited-overs cricket recently, their record in the longer format has been less than ideal. Right before the IPL began, they were trounced 3-1 by India in an away series. Furthermore, they have a dismal test cricket record versus New Zealand in recent years. They were beaten 1-0 in both of their recent travels to New Zealand, however both were away series.
England will provide a serious challenge despite playing an almost second-string lineup for this series. Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, and Zak Crawley have all performed admirably recently and are capable to assisting Joe Root in taking on the Kiwi bowlers. However, with both Sam Curran and Ben Stokes out, England’s lower batting order is in desperate need of a great all-rounder. Joe Root will have to take on more responsibility and might end up being his team’s leading scorer in this encounter. This is a risk you should definitely take.
Even without Jofra Archer, England’s bowling has a sense of confrontation. On their best days, pitchers like James Anderson, Stuart Broad, and Mark Wood can decimate any hitting lineup. In the absence of Moeen Ali, Ollie Robinson is expected to make his debut, with Jack Leach set to play as a lone spinner.
Overall, England is missing a number of crucial players, which makes their team a little weaker. Having said that, even without those players, England has a potent squad that thrives in the English environment. By any stretch of the imagination, defeating them will be a difficult endeavour.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand’s main goal, although wanting to win this series, will be to win the ICC World Championship final, which will follow the series. New Zealand has never won an ICC tournament, therefore winning the inaugural WTC championship may be an appropriate achievement for them.
The Kiwis haven’t played red-ball cricket since the beginning of the year, so it may take some time for them to get back into the swing of things. They’ll also require that extra time to adjust to the weather in England. New Zealand has not had much luck in England in the past, as seen by their low success rate of less than ten percent.
When looking at the New Zealand roster, one can’t help but notice the lack of a seasoned spinner. New Zealand, on the other hand, has all of its veteran players available, which might be a key element when playing in England. Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel are available, but it will be fascinating to see how much of an influence they make in English circumstances.
New Zealand’s fortunes will be primarily reliant on its two most experienced players, Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson, who are both capable of playing in any situation and have been in excellent form recently. In terms of batting, New Zealand does not have any significant flaws. Devon Conway, who has been in excellent form and struck a fifty in the tour game, might earn his debut in this crucial match.
Despite the fact that their bowling team lacks an experienced spinner, they have bowlers that are capable of doing their responsibilities well. Furthermore, their fast bowlers are of many types, which will add diversity to the assault. Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, and Tim Southee are all tough opponents for any batting lineup. They have someone in Mitchell Santner who can hold up one end while quick-bowlers chip away at the other. Overall, New Zealand has a fantastic team, and if they can rapidly adjust to the circumstances, they will be a difficult team to beat.