NZ v England test matches, November 2019
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:58 pmWarm up NZ A v England XI 15-17 Nov at Whangeri
1st test NZ v England 21-25 Nov at Mount Maunganui
2nd test NZ v England 29 Nov - 3 Dec at Hamilton
This has rolled around quickly, given England last played New Zealand in New Zealand in March 2018. It's not part of the test championship, in case anyone gives a stuff.
Some second-tier venues getting the run out here matches. Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui gets its first test (I had to look up where it is, it's on the north coast of the North Island, about 200k from Auckland). Hamilton is a more regular venue, but it will be England's second ever test at the ground (the first was in 2008, where New Zealand thrashed England by 178 runs, and we saw the last appearance in an England shirt of the redoubtable Matthew Hoggard).
England XI for the first test seems likely to be: Sibley, Burns, Denley, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Woakes/Curran, Archer, Broad, Leach. Denley's spot depends on his fitness - should he come through the warm-up, he seems set to play, otherwise Bairstow will be waiting in the wings. Word from the camp seems to be that despite making runs in the warmup Crawley will have to wait until another time for his debut, as will Parkinson and Mahmood. The final spot seems to be set to be a shoot-out between Woakes and Curran for the third seamer/number eight with the bat spot. Curran might have the edge here, as Woakes' overseas record is weak, and Curran offers some variation with his left arm attack, while Woakes is yet another RMF. But Woakes has more pace and experience. I guess we'll see.
NZ are pretty settled in the batting department, with Latham, Raval, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls and Watling all set to play, with de Grandhomme in the allrounder role. On the bowling side, while the trio of Boult, Southee and Wagner have been the core for a little while, there seems to be some suggestion that Lockie Ferguson may force his way into the attack at the expense of one of the latter two. There is no locked down spinner spot it seems, with Ajaz Patel, William Somerville and Ish Sodi all fairly new, and all used in the recent past. Of course, spring in New Zealand, plenty of rain around and the potential for a lot of movement off the seam does leave the option open of four quicks and no spinner at all. Given the struggles of England's top order of late, it may be a tempting prospect.
England haven't won a test series in New Zealand since 2008, with a draw in 2013 and a chastening loss in 2018 when a rampant Boult destroyed England on the first morning of the series. Given England's recent batting woes, you'd be brave to bet against that happening again at some point in this series.
Silverwood's first test series in charge, so we'll see how stage one of the apparent plan to win the Ashes back in 2021 unfolds. FWIW, I'm predicting a repeat of last time, 1-0 to New Zealand, with one of the two matches a rain-affected draw. But my crystal ball has been pretty murky of late...
1st test NZ v England 21-25 Nov at Mount Maunganui
2nd test NZ v England 29 Nov - 3 Dec at Hamilton
This has rolled around quickly, given England last played New Zealand in New Zealand in March 2018. It's not part of the test championship, in case anyone gives a stuff.
Some second-tier venues getting the run out here matches. Bay Oval at Mount Maunganui gets its first test (I had to look up where it is, it's on the north coast of the North Island, about 200k from Auckland). Hamilton is a more regular venue, but it will be England's second ever test at the ground (the first was in 2008, where New Zealand thrashed England by 178 runs, and we saw the last appearance in an England shirt of the redoubtable Matthew Hoggard).
England XI for the first test seems likely to be: Sibley, Burns, Denley, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, Woakes/Curran, Archer, Broad, Leach. Denley's spot depends on his fitness - should he come through the warm-up, he seems set to play, otherwise Bairstow will be waiting in the wings. Word from the camp seems to be that despite making runs in the warmup Crawley will have to wait until another time for his debut, as will Parkinson and Mahmood. The final spot seems to be set to be a shoot-out between Woakes and Curran for the third seamer/number eight with the bat spot. Curran might have the edge here, as Woakes' overseas record is weak, and Curran offers some variation with his left arm attack, while Woakes is yet another RMF. But Woakes has more pace and experience. I guess we'll see.
NZ are pretty settled in the batting department, with Latham, Raval, Williamson, Taylor, Nicholls and Watling all set to play, with de Grandhomme in the allrounder role. On the bowling side, while the trio of Boult, Southee and Wagner have been the core for a little while, there seems to be some suggestion that Lockie Ferguson may force his way into the attack at the expense of one of the latter two. There is no locked down spinner spot it seems, with Ajaz Patel, William Somerville and Ish Sodi all fairly new, and all used in the recent past. Of course, spring in New Zealand, plenty of rain around and the potential for a lot of movement off the seam does leave the option open of four quicks and no spinner at all. Given the struggles of England's top order of late, it may be a tempting prospect.
England haven't won a test series in New Zealand since 2008, with a draw in 2013 and a chastening loss in 2018 when a rampant Boult destroyed England on the first morning of the series. Given England's recent batting woes, you'd be brave to bet against that happening again at some point in this series.
Silverwood's first test series in charge, so we'll see how stage one of the apparent plan to win the Ashes back in 2021 unfolds. FWIW, I'm predicting a repeat of last time, 1-0 to New Zealand, with one of the two matches a rain-affected draw. But my crystal ball has been pretty murky of late...
