Ed Osmond
LONDON: With a new cricket director, coach and chairman, England return to the field of play in the first Test against New Zealand tomorrow following an extraordinary period of upheaval.
Alastair Cook leads his team into a huge summer of cricket which will be defined by the Ashes, but first up they must deal with a vibrant and confident New Zealand side in a two-Test series.
England should be warned not to take New Zealand lightly.
The Kiwis are unbeaten in Test series since losing in England two years ago and reached their first World Cup final in March, playing a brand of aggressive and innovative cricket that has become their hallmark under Brendon McCullum’s captaincy.
England, in stark contrast, are in disarray following a dismal World Cup campaign and a disappointing 1-1 Test series draw in West Indies.
New cricket director Andrew Strauss sacked coach Peter Moores 10 days ago and his next task was to reveal that Kevin Pietersen would not be recalled, despite the mercurial right-hander’s career-best innings of 355 not out for Surrey.
Strauss, trying desperately to draw a line under the Pietersen issue which has dogged English cricket since he was axed 15 months ago, spoke of a complete breakdown of trust.
An angry Pietersen responded by accusing the ECB of deceitful behaviour and the mud-slinging will rumble on. England have called up Yorkshire’s Adam Lyth to open with Cook.
Nick Compton, Michael Carberry, Sam Robson and Jonathan Trott have failed to establish themselves as Cook’s partner and now the 27-year-old Lyth gets his chance.
The compact left-hander has a first-class average of 43.2 and 15 centuries to his name, and England will desperately hope he has the right temperament to compliment his natural ability. Otherwise, the team has a familiar look.
Gary Ballance, Ian Bell and Joe Root are an established middle-order while James Anderson and Stuart Broad should continue their potent new-ball partnership in home conditions.
Cook made his first international century for nearly two years in West Indies and Jos Buttler is improving as a wicketkeeper and a potentially destructive number seven.
New Zealand, however, have a superb attack with Tim Southee and Trent Boult – who have been acclaimed by the country’s finest cricketer Richard Hadlee as the best opening attack to represent New Zealand – how England would love to have a left-arm seamer of Boult’s ability to call on, probably their best ever new-ball partnership.
With the destructive McCullum and Martin Guptill at the top of the order and Kane Williamson, a cohesive presence at number three, the touring side’s batting looks dangerous and solid.
England must front up. They must be positive and brave.
Defeat by New Zealand will only ramp up the pressure before a bullish Australia side head over supremely confident of winning an away Ashes series for the first time since 2001.
w Meanwhile, in their traditionally under-stated fashion New Zealand have been content to stay in the background before the two-Test series.
The New Zealand players do not even have to report for duty until two days before the first Test at Lord’s because of their Indian Premier League commitments.
But they will be full of confidence having enjoyed two years of almost unbroken success since they were dismissed for 45 by South Africa in Cape Town in early 2013.
In 2014 they won five Tests in a year for the first time and have climbed to third in the world Test rankings.
Captain McCullum became the first New Zealander to pass 300 in a Test innings last year during a monumental exhibition of concentration against India in Wellington.
He fell for 195 against Sri Lanka in Christchurch with the record for the fastest Test double hundred at his mercy.
His 33 Test sixes were more than double the previous best and he became the first New Zealander to score 1 000 runs in a calendar year while Kane Williamson is on course to break all his nation’s batting records.
New Zealand opened their tour with a comfortable win over Somerset ahead of tomorrow’s first Test match.
“It was a little scratchy at times but there were enough good things,” coach Mike Hesson said. “The tempo with the bat was good and some of the guys got runs but I thought with the ball we were a bit inconsistent.”
Opening batsman Martin Guptill, who hit a world record 237 not out against West Indies in the World Cup, is set to return to the Test arena.
He warmed up for the first Test nicely by scoring 150 in the victory over Worcestershire. – Reuters