New Zealand meet England in the first test on Thursday May 21st at Lord’s, and whilst no definite team has been announced as of yet, it is pretty easy to deduce which players may be selected.
England vs New Zealand: The Kiwi Perspective
New Zealand have shown time and time again that they are a team that tends to be very consistent in their selection and it has become clear that a winning formula may have been found within their camp.
The selection of swing twins Trent Boult and Tim Southee — who have both joined the Blackcaps from the IPL — goes without saying. Thanks to the magic of former bowling coach, Shane Bond, they have become a formidable opening bowling attack that meets every expectation of both coach and captain.
Mark Craig is sure to receive the nod for the spinner’s role thanks to his 5 for 34 in just 11.5 overs against Somerset in the second warm-up match. This is the fifth five wicket haul for the 28 year-old and while he may still have his critics concerning his constancy regarding his wicket taking abilities, he is on the right track to silencing them.
Unfortunately, the third seamer selection is proving to be the headache for coach Mike Hesson. Fast bowlers Neil Wagner, Matt Henry and Doug Bracewell are in a tight three-horse race for the coveted position and each player makes a fair case for selection. Wagner has been a familiar face to the squad over the past few years and has never turned down the chance to prove himself when given the chance and, according to Hesson, has yet to let his team down.
Bracewell has been fighting for a place in the squad for some time now but was let down by some poor choices in his personal life that saw him become unavailable for selection. Bracewell has picked up eight wickets so far in the two warm-up matches and his ability with the bat makes him an appealing choice.
The quickest of the bunch, Matt Henry, rated the most dangerous bowler by Somerset, has immense pace on his side, but it was his World Cup appearances that made him stand out. It is never easy to receive a call-up when your team has just reached the semi-final and be expected to be at your best, but that is exactly what he did, showing he is lethal when it’s his day.
Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor and Captain Brendon Mccullum will slot into the batting line-up at three, four and five respectively for reasons more obvious than are worth stating. It has been the way for what seems like an age already and will continue to stay that way for time to come. BJ Watling will once again reprise his role as wicket-keeper, this time without the captain’s armband, and despite a current injury putting him firmly on the sidelines, Corey Anderson will be an obvious swap for Jimmy Neesham as the all-rounder should he be fit in time.
The last big decision to be made will be right at the top. The opening partnership for the New Zealand test team has been a work in progress for some time now. Tom Latham has shown that despite his age, he is a man with talent, brains and confidence with his ability to start off the innings. The problem is finding a partner who will support him in developing an innings while simultaneously proving he deserves to be there.
Hamish Rutherford was given the job after Martin Guptill was dropped due to his poor form, but has never quite lived up to expectations. His recent lack of form in the warm-up matches, scoring 37 and 11 in his two innings, has left the door wide open for Guptill to saunter through, brimming with confidence from his career-best knock of 227 for Derbyshire and his unbelievable performance at the World Cup.
Unfortunately, until a proper announcement is made which, according to the Blackcaps media team will likely to only be done on Day 1, one can only speculate as to who will make the final cut. A likely and effective starting eleven, in batting order, would be something like this.
Martin Guptill
Tom Latham
Kane Williamson
Ross Taylor
Brendon McCullum (c)
Corey Anderson or Jimmy Neesham, depending on fitness
BJ Watling
Tim Southee
Mark Craig
Matt Henry or Neil Wagner
Trent Boult
