The battle between New Zealand and England in the first of the two-Test matches will be played at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval. The first Test will take place from November 21-25 and it will start at 10:00 am (local time) each day.
As New Zealand look to exploit his pace, Lockie Ferguson could be set for his Test debut. After the final Test with Sri Lanka, there will be at least two changes, with William Somerville and Ajaz Patel being absent in the team. Ferguson and Mitchell Santer may join the squad, but as a pace-bowling option, Matt Henry may come in. Kane Williamson is back to lead the team, after being rested for the T20I series.
On his Test debut, Dominic Sibley is set to open the batting alongside Rory Burns. With Zak Crawley having impressed in the warm-up matches, Rory could be joined by another debutante. Ollie Pope is set to return at number six.
Key Players:
Tom Latham: He hit 154 against Sri Lanka in New Zealand’s most recent test innings and now has 1,026 runs in his last ten Test matches. For Canterbury at the end last month he hit a double-century.
Kane Williamson: In the ICC test batting rankings, he ranked third. In Test matches, the New Zealand captain averages 52.22. He hit 20 centuries and 30 half-centuries in His Test career.
Trent Boult: He took eight wickets in the series with Sri Lanka to move to 254 wickets in 63 matches. In the current ICC test-match rankings, he is ranked sixth.
Jofra Archer: After a fine start to his Test-match career, he took 22 wickets in four matches in the Ashes– including two six-wicket hauls. In the warm-up games too, the paceman has been in good form.
Ben stokes: Against New Zealand, he was England’s World Cup hero and later he starred in Ashes too by scoring two Test centuries- including his stunning match-winning knock at Headingley.
Joe Root: He scored four half-centuries in the Ashes series without turning any of them into a hundred. His conversion rate remains a question. He has scored more than 7000 Test runs at an average of 47.91.
WHAT DID THEY SAY?
“I’m pretty sure we can’t have a super over in a Test, so we should be all right.”- Trent Boult doesn’t have any lingering scars from this year’s prior encounters with England, honest.
“It’s a good chance to see where we’re at and for us as a bowling group to be quite creative and do things slightly differently to how we’ve done it before. And to grow as a side, come up with different ideas of how we’re going to get wickets when it does go flat.”- Joe Root, England’s captain, is ready for a tough test of his team’s character.
Probable XI
New Zealand Xl
Kane Williamson (capt), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner.
England Xl
Joe Root (capt), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Ben Stokes.
NZ vs ENG Weather Report
Towards the evening, there will be a little humidity. Mount Maunganui’s forecast is superb -especially the last three days will be clear particularly, with minimal chance of rain.
Team Form
Most recent first, last five completed matches.
- New Zealand – W L W W W
- England – W L W D L
The match, which is to be played at the Bay Oval will be the first Test match. This pitch has favored pace bowlers in one-day matches.
Both teams are strong. Both have a good history of wins, as per our record now England has 48 wins. In the 103 previous Test matches between them, New Zealand has 45 wins.
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