England vs New Zealand: England looking for a good start at Lord's

Date – 16th May 2013

Time – 3.30 p.m (IST)

After their dismal show in New Zealand, Alastair Cook would be hoping for a good series at home against the Black Caps. England also had two outstanding series last year and therefore they will not find any problems against the New Zealand side.

England have been relentless at home. The selectors have also picked a decent squad for the Test Series against the Black Caps. The return of Jonny Bairstow strengthens the middle order. He is also the only recognized batsmen in the middle order as he has been in remarkable form. Also, in the absence of Kevin Pietersen, England will be heavily reliant on the top order batsmen to get the runs. Cook hasn’t been in the best of form with the bat. But he has been a great batsman for England at home. Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott have been the consistent performers England. So, the top order has to make some runs in order to give the middle order the freedom to bat. Nevertheless, England have a promising pace-attack under Cook. Anderson and Stuart Broad have been sensational with the new-ball for the home team. The third seamer, perhaps Tim Bresnan, would be critical as he has played well for Yorkshire. If the batting clicks for England, they should not find problems in the first Test.

New Zealand, on the other hand, have a few injury concerns. Tim Southee has picked up a foot injury and is expected to miss the first Test match. Therefore, Bracewell will fill up the vacancy. Also, New Zealand have a decent batting line-up, but they aren’t exposed to these kind of circumstances. They will have to be watchful against Anderson. If they lose wickets early, then they will certainly find it difficult in England.

Pitch and Conditions

The wicket at Lords is expected to aid seam bowlers. The weather at Lords is expected to be cool and a gentle breeze will blow along the ground, which will help the seamers. There is possibility of showers on Day 2. So, batting first would be difficult at Lords. As the game progresses, the surface is expected to get dry. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bowl first.

Team news

England have picked a pretty good squad for the Ashes Series. Tim Bresnan’s return is good news for England. It will be interesting to see the combination in the bowling department. If Bresnan is picked for the first Test, then Steve Finn has to sit out.

New Zealand, on the other hand, are considering one change. Tim Southee has picked up a foot injury in the warm-up match against the England Lions. So, Doug Bracewell is expected to replace Tim Southee.

Players to watch

Alastair Cook has been burdened with the expectation of getting runs for England. Cook didn’t have a good tour of New Zealand as captain. He was magnificent in India, but he couldn’t replicate the same form in New Zealand. So, a good performance at home would certainly boost his confidence. If Cook can deliver with the bat, then England could pile up a massive score on a seaming wicket.

Brendon McCullum has had a good start at home as captain. He marshalled his troops effectively against England at home. But in England, he has to take the responsibility and perform with the bat for the Black Caps as some of the players are relatively inexperienced in handling the new-ball.

Quotes

“He’s a thinker of the game. He’s a proactive captain. He’s willing to chance his arm to try and get his side ahead, and that’s not always going to work, but he’s willing to try something to get ahead in the game,” Southee said of McCullum’s leadership qualities.

“Both Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan have worked hard to regain fitness following elbow surgery and have demonstrated through their performances for their counties that they are ready for the challenge of international cricket,” Miller said of Swann and Bresnan.