England vs New Zealand 1st Test Betting Tips - England old guard to return with new approach
England face New Zealand at Lord’s in their first Test since the Ashes defeat, with both teams fielding strong line-ups and in-form players like Joe Root and Tom Blundell. While England have the recent edge, New Zealand arrive on a winning streak, making for an evenly-matched contest. Key players to watch include Root, Tongue, and Blundell, all predicted to perform strongly. However, London weather may lead to a draw. Odds and predictions reflect anticipated impactful performances and a likely rain-affected outcome.
- England and New Zealand evenly matched, recent edge to England.
- Key players: Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Tom Blundell expected to excel.
- Rain likely to result in a draw despite star-studded line-ups.
This is the first England first test since the their disastrous Ashes campaign and although Stokes and McCullum survived the fallout, change in approach has been promised. Ultimately, the London weather could have the final stay, but if not, this should be a very intrigiung match-up between two evenly matches sides.
Key Stats - Root and Williamson Key to Success
- England’s Joe Root hit 160 off 242 balls in the 5th Test against Australia.
- England’s Jacob Bethell scored 154 off 365 balls against Australia.
- England’s Josh Tongue took 3/97 & 3/42 in the 5th Test.
- New Zealand’s Tom Blundell hit 186 in the Test against Ireland in late May.
- New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra hit 15 boundaries in his 121 against Ireland.
- New Zealand’s Nathan Smith took 6/40 & 2/53 against Ireland.
Even Contest, England hold Recent Edge
England have lead 3-2 in their last five Test matches against New Zealand. However, at Lord's, New Zealand have only managed one win in 19 (back in 1999).
England look to Bounce Back from Horror Ashes
Joe Root has scored 75, 111*, 96, 33, 64 and 44 in his last six innings, while Harry Brook’s last six innings include scores of 100, 26, 40 and 26. Jacob Bethell scored a magnificent century in the last Test against Australia but had a poor IPL season, with a top score of 27 in his last seven innings.
Josh Tongue has 49 wickets in just nine Tests, including six in the 5th Test against Australia. He has also been in good red ball form, taking 5/124, 4/89 and 2/76 in his last four innings.
New Zealand Four Wins in last Five Tests
Tom Blundell’s 186 in the one-off Test against Ireland was preceded by scores of 98*, 96, 35, 25 and 62 in his previous five red-ball innings. Openers Devon Conway and Tom Latham failed to shine in the innings win over Ireland but each scored centuries in both innings against the West Indies in their second-last Test back in December.
Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner each took a five-for against Ireland, with Tickner taking 4/40 in an ODI against Bangladesh two matches earlier.
New Zealand vs England 1st Test Predicted Lineups & Team news
England’s 12-man squad for the 1st Test includes the uncapped duo of Emilio Gay and Sonny Baker. Ollie Robinson has also been selected after not playing in a Test for over two years. Brydon Carse was second in the Ashes wickets list (22 wickets) but will miss the Test as he recovers from a hand injury which caused him to withdraw from the recent IPL.
England head coach Brendon McCullum was weighing up whether to select Gus Atkinson or Baker, a decision that might boil down to the weather.
"We'll just work out whether we want the extra air speed, if all of a sudden it becomes 35 degrees and flattens out. Or we stick to what's tried and tested at Lord's and remain with more of the type of bowlers that'll extract some movement with some overhead conditions,” said McCullum in a pre-match press conference.
Mitchell Santner has recovered from a shoulder injury and joined New Zealand’s squad for Thursday’s first Test against England at Lord’s, replacing Dean Foxcroft after the Ireland Test win.
England (possible XI): Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.
New Zealand (possible XI): Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Kane Williamson.
Verdict
The match is predicted to end in a rain-marred draw, with Tom Blundell backed to score over 45 runs.
Joe Root is a good bet to score over 68.5 runs, while Josh Tongue is in good form with the ball and is backed to take five or more wickets in the match.
Joe Root is a good bet to score over 68.5 runs, while Josh Tongue is in good form with the ball and is backed to take five or more wickets in the match.
Joe Root
Score Over 68.5 Runs
@5/6 - 2 Units
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Josh Tongue
Take Over 4.5 Wickets
@5/6 - 1 Unit
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Tom Blundell
Score Over 45.5 Runs
@5/6 - 1 Unit
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Draw
Result
@4/1 - 1 Unit
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