England have the opportunity to put the disappointment and criticism that came from the Ashes thrashing behind them when the first Test against New Zealand gets underway at Lord's on Thursday.
England's Summer Opener
Captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum both came under intense scrutiny following the 4-1 series defeat in Australia, but this series, their first of the summer, is the perfect opportunity to bounce back. This is the first of three Test matches against McCullum’s home country, and they will be hoping to make it back-to-back series wins after the 2-1 victory down under in 2024.
England won the first two Test matches in Christchurch and Wellington, winning the second by 323 runs to secure the series, but they were thrashed by 423 runs a few days later. The visitors are without a win in the last three series between the two sides, losing two and drawing the other to end a three-series winning streak.
England are strong favourites with betting sites for the win at the home of cricket at odds of 4/5, while you can get 23/10 on the Black Caps.
Root to Keep Up His Scoring Run at Lord’s
The last meeting between the two sides at Lord’s was four years ago at the same point in the calendar, and both sides were bowled out in the first innings in less than 50 overs. New Zealand batted first and were all out for 132 before England followed suit, bowled out for 141, with Zak Crawley the top scorer with 43. The second innings were a bit better with James Anderson and Stuart Broad combining to take five wickets as the visitors scored 285. England went on to take the match by five wickets with Joe Root top-scoring with 115 not out.
Root has an average of 53.47 against New Zealand and has scored six centuries and nine 50’s in 21 Test matches. The 35-year-old has scored five centuries in the last 12 months in just 10 matches, and he’s available at 3/1 on betting apps to finish as England’s top scorer at the ground where he is the highest run-scorer in Test match history.
England vs New Zealand 1st Test prediction 1: Root to finish top scorer - 23/5 BetVictor
Can Robinson Roll Back the Years?
Ollie Robinson’s recall to England after a two-year absence was a surprise to many, including former England star Stuart Broad, but no one can question his Test record of 76 wickets at an average of 22.92 from just 20 matches. The 32-year-old was dropped after the tour of India in 2024, but he has a pretty good record against this week’s opponents at Lord's. He took seven wickets in the Test back in 2021 as the teams played out a draw, and he also has a further six wickets to take his tally against the Black Caps to 13 wickets in just three matches.
This is an excellent opportunity for him to remind everyone what he’s capable of ahead of a busy summer; the key will be whether he can stay fit.
England vs New Zealand 1st Test prediction 2: Robinson to be England’s top bowler - 29/10 BetVictor
England vs New Zealand 1st Test Squads
England: Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears (travelling reserve), Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young.
Free Bets for Cricket
Anyone thinking of having a bet on the first Test between England and New Zealand can claim £30 in free bets from Coral by wagering just £5. This offer is only open to new customers who sign up and make a first deposit of at least £5 using an eligible payment method. Once bettors have a funded account, they will need to wager a minimum of £5 on any event on the sportsbook at odds of 1/2 or greater. Once the qualifying bet has been settled, punters will receive 6x £5 free bet tokens, with £20 available for use on any sportsbook market. The remaining £10 in free bets is split into a bet builder token and a horse racing free bet. Free bets must be used within seven days and can’t be cashed out.
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