*Official* England in NZ 2023

[G. S. Kohli]

New Zealand vs England

Thursday, February 16 - Monday, February 20, 2pm daily: 1st Test; Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui

Friday, February 24 - Tuesday, February 28, 11am daily: 2nd Test; Basin Reserve, Wellington

England Test Team :

Squad: Ben Stokes (Captain), James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Olly Stone

 

[CricAddict]

First one is a day night test? Great. First Bazball under lights which have almost always favored the bowlers. Will be interesting to see how England go about it.

 

[G. S. Kohli]

No Mark wood ? Duckett should makes way for Johnny Bairstow, test specialist by Ashes series

 

[NZTailender]

Squad predictions for NZ? I don't think we'll see anything too surprising. Whether or not they'll drop Nicholls remains to be seen. Number 4 seems like a question mark as does number 6. We no longer have CdG and there aren't many seam bowling all rounders kicking the door down to take a place at number 6 or 7. That said, I don't see them playing two spinners (specialist and all-rounder). The conservative mindset for home games would suggest 4 seamers and Bracewell at 7 as the spin hail Mary. I suspect one specialist spinner may make the squad, but whether or not Sodhi has jumped Patel now in the queue remains to be seen. An aggressive leg spin option may be more attractive for the day night game, so potentially Sodhi gets the nod. Tickner seems to be a squad regular now, and looking at most recent squads for NZ, Fletcher the reserve bat and keeper.

So guessing:
1. Latham
2. Conway
3. Williamson
4. Phillips
5. Mitchell
6. Blundell+
7. Bracewell
8. Jamieson
9. Southee
10. Henry
11. Wagner

12. Tickner
13. Sodhi
14. Fletcher
15. ??????

So potentially two spots up for grabs. One possibly taken by Nicholls - but if he is dropped (ditto Young), we may see the debut of Fletcher, the return of Ravindra, or something left field. Carter did well on the A tour but hasn't really performed in the Plunket Shield at all this season. I don't see Stead or Larsen being that outrageous though, and suspect Nicholls will get another chance with spot number 15 taken by Duffy or Shipley. If they're looking for a left arm pacer to replace Boult and Wagner then we may see Lister in the mix.

Edit: totally forgot about Phillips. He'll be in the squad, may end up batting 4, or at 5 if they move Mitchell up. Or be a squad player if they retain Nicholls.

 

[ataraxia]

Don't think Phillips wil be selected, let alone in the team. He's been more of a meme FC player in recent times. I wouldn't completely mind randomly plucking a J Carter / Bruce / R O'Donnell / McConchie out of domestix tbh. Better than Nicholls, at least.

 

[Howsie]

Come on now, Nicholls is definitely going to be there. These country bumpkins just showed there hand by putting him on the one day team when he hasn’t scored descent runs in years.

I honestly have no excitement for this series. Stead and Larsen have literally run this team into the ground. Wagner for example is completely cooked but they’ll pick him because it would just be mean to not give him a farewell series.

 

[Nintendo]

I mean phillips averaged 50+ last time he rocked up for the plunket shield and made a 100 in the only county fixture he played mid 2022 from memory, and he's made runs in test cricket against a quality AUS attack before. If i'm picking anyone it'd be him.

 

[Mike5181]

1. Tom Latham
2. Devon Conway
3. Kane Williamson
4. Will Young
5. Daryl Mitchell
6. Tom Blundell+
7. Michael Bracewell
8. Kyle Jamieson
9. Matt Henry
10. Tim Southee
11. Neil Wagner

12. Rachin Ravindra
13. Glenn Phillips
14. Ish Sodhi
15. Lockie Ferguson/Nathan Smith

 

[Zinzan]

Not a bad XI that. I'm not against them selecting Phillips in the middle order, but equally happy with Maces at 7 in NZ conditions & as the lone spinner.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Anyone going to the Wellington Test?

 

[BazBall21]

England

1) Crawley
2) Duckett
3) Pope
4) Root
5) Brook
6) Stokes
7) Foakes
8) Robinson
9) Broad
10) Leach
11) Anderson

 

[thundaboult]

Come on now, Nicholls is definitely going to be there. These country bumpkins just showed there hand by putting him on the one day team when he hasn’t scored descent runs in years.

I honestly have no excitement for this series. Stead and Larsen have literally run this team into the ground. Wagner for example is completely cooked but they’ll pick him because it would just be mean to not give him a farewell series.

well hey it'll be fun watching england play

 

[Chewie]

Nicholls and tickner in the squad :/

 

[Chewie]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1621176842098208768

 

[ataraxia]

yay Sodhi! otherwise, booring.

 

[Athlai]

Kiwi fans should mentally prepare themselves for

Latham
Conway
Williamson
Nicholls
Mitchell
Blundell (+)
Bracewell
Jamieson
Southee
Wagner
Henry

 

[straw man]

Sodhi will be eyeing those English batsmen like a seagull eyes a stray chip that escaped from the paper wrapping at the beach on a blustery day. You've never seen anything so vicious.

 

[NZTailender]

Kiwi fans should mentally prepare themselves for

Latham
Conway
Williamson
Nicholls
Mitchell
Blundell (+)
Bracewell
Jamieson
Southee
Wagner
Henry

I reckon Sodhi might eke in. third seamer might end up a battle between Jamieson doing ok in the warm up match. If not, Henry plays.

 

[Flem274*]

Kiwi fans should mentally prepare themselves for

Latham
Conway
Williamson
Nicholls
Mitchell
Blundell (+)
Bracewell
Jamieson
Southee
Wagner
Henry

too bold and sensible.

clearly macewell bats 8, young randomly opens and we need an injection of pace so bring in tickner for our 3-1 split.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Kiwi fans should mentally prepare themselves for

Latham
Conway
Williamson
Nicholls
Mitchell
Blundell (+)
Bracewell
Jamieson
Southee
Wagner
Henry

You're probably right although Henry should be batting ahead of Wagner and Southee (and possibly Jamieson).