The first test between England and New Zealand turned out to be an exciting encounter but rain washed out the third day’s play and made it difficult to get a result. Even though New Zealand did their best to push for a win, the match ended in a draw thanks to the third day’s playing being washed out.
A draw in the first test has now made the second test match all the more exciting as this is a two match test series and the winner of the second test will take the series. The second test will start on June 10 and take place in Birmingham. Bet365 has England as slight betting favorites with odds of 2.20 while the Kiwis are still the underdogs with odds of 2.50. The odds of the third test ending in a draw are at 4.60 as of now.
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England vs. New Zealand – First Test Takeaways
New Zealand played a lot better than England expected and appeared to have the upper hand for most of the game which will do their confidence a lot of good going into the second test. Devon Conway made a fantastic double century at the top of the order for New Zealand in the first innings and it earned him the player of the match award.
The rest of the Kiwi batsmen struggled in the first innings with the exception of Henry Nicholls who made 61. The Kiwi batsmen tried to turn on the runs in the second innings and quite a few of them got starts. Their batting line-up will be confident of handling whatever England throws at them in the second test.
England also put up a good batting display in the first and second innings as a number of their batsmen did well. Rory Burns led the way at the top of the order scoring a steady 132 that held the first innings together.
We would have to give the Kiwi bowlers the edge as Tim Southee, Kylie Jamieson and Neil Wagner used the conditions well and took wickets. England on the other hand struggled as their veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad were not very effective. Ollie Robinson was the one that did the most damage taking a total of 7 wickets in the game.
England vs. New Zealand – Second Test Predictions
England will definitely feel more pressure going into the second test as they are expected to win at home. Trent Boult is set to make his return after missing the first test due to quarantine requirements and this will definitely swing things in New Zealand’s favour as he is one of the best swing bowlers in the world.
England need to decide if they are going to play the aging Anderson and Broad again or give one of them a rest and bring in some new blood. However, given that Jofra Archer is out due to injury and there is no Ben Stokes, they might give their experienced duo another go at the Kiwis.
Verdict
We should get a result in this test as the weather forecast looks pretty good. No rain is predicted and the temperate should be between 15 to 18 for most of the days, making it perfect for cricket. Given the way New Zealand played and the fact that Trent Boult is returning, we think the Kiwis will win.
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