Preview:
England will be eager to play their 1st Test of the summer as they take on New Zealand in a two-match Test series starting from 2nd June. They have pretty bad memories from their last Test series, as they were completely outplayed by the Indians. Three Lions have rested some of their main players and it will be a great opportunity for the young players.
Meanwhile, New Zealand will consider this series as a preparation for the World Test Championship Final. They are a formidable side with some exceptional quick bowlers. Kiwis are currently ranked second in the Test format and they will be hoping to make an impact in this series.
Match Details:
England vs New Zealand, 1st Test
Venue: Lord’s, London
Date & Time: June 2nd – June 6th, 3:30 PM IST and 11:00 AM Local Time
Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network
Pitch Report:
The track here at the Lords is a balanced one. We can expect a lot of swing and seam movement from the surface. It will assist the batters more in the first 3 days. Batting first is an excellent option since batting in the 4th innings is extremely difficult.
Probable Playing XIs for ENG vs NZ:
England
Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley, Joe Root (c), Ollie Pope, Sam Billings / James Bracey, Dan Lawrence / Jack Leach, Craig Overton, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
New Zealand
Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Daryl Mitchell / Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult
Top Picks for ENG vs NZ Dream11 Match:
Top Picks – Batsmen
Joe Root is always tough to dismiss in the home conditions. He doesn’t show too much weakness in his style of batting. England skipper has 8617 runs to his name in Test format, which includes 20 centuries and 49 half-centuries.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is one of the most versatile batters in modern-day cricket. He was the player of the series in the home Test series against Pakistan, where he mustered 388 runs in 3 innings.
Top Picks – All-Rounders
Craig Overton has played 4 Test matches for England and he has scalped 9 wickets. He is also a decent lower-order batter and he has notched 124 runs, with the highest score of 41
Daryl Mitchell has scored his maiden Test century in the last test against Pakistan. He remained not out on 102 runs and he is quite handy with the ball as well. He can be a good budget pick at 8 Cr.
Top Picks – Bowlers
Swing king James Anderson will be effective on home soil and he has produced some exceptional spells here in Lord’s. The Lancashire bowler has 614 Test wickets under his belt with 30 five-wicket hauls.
Friendly seaming conditions at Lord’s will be a major advantage for Trent Boult, who has the ability to swing the ball both ways. Left-arm quick has picked up 281 wickets in his 71 Test matches at an average of 28.02.
Top Picks – Wicketkeepers
BJ Watling will be playing his last bilateral Test series. He has been exceptional behind the wickets throughout his career and has also scored 3773 runs in his 73 Test matches and affected 267 dismissals.
ENG vs NZ Must Picks for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
| Player | Statistics ( Last 5 Tests) | Dream11 Points |
| Joe Root | 565 runs and 8 wickets | 58, 139, 57, 146, 62 |
| Kane Williamson | 736 runs | 294, 178, 309, 25, 108 |
| James Anderson | 21 wickets | 72, 4, 109, 129, 148 |
| Trent Boult | 20 wickets | 84, 84, 76, 36, 153 |
| Tom Latham | 307 runs | 33, 182, 49, 77, 59 |
Suggested Playing XI No.1 for ENG vs NZ Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
BJ Watling, Kane Williamson (c), Tom Latham, Joe Root, Dominic Sibley, Zak Crawley (vc), Craig Overton, James Anderson, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson
Suggested Playing XI No.2 for ENG vs NZ Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:
BJ Watling, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Joe Root (c), Henry Nicholls, Ollie Pope, Daryl Mitchell, Stuart Broad, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson (vc), Mark Wood
ENG vs NZ Risky Captaincy Choices:
Test specialist Dominic Sibley has got the Test match temperament. He likes to bat long and once he gets set, it’s difficult to get rid of him. He is a risky captaincy choice for your fantasy teams.
Tom Latham has scored 3929 runs in his 56 Test matches at an average of 42.24. He is really worth a risk to pick him as your fantasy team skipper.
Player you should avoid:
Rory Burns has scored only 78 runs in the last 4 test matches. Considering his current form, you can avoid him while making your fantasy teams.
