ENG tour of NZ, 2023

NZ vs ENG, 2nd Test

Preview

The 2nd Test match between New Zealand and England will be played on the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The match is scheduled from Friday, February 24 to Tuesday, February 28, 2023. 

The Tim Southee-led side suffered a massive 267-run loss to Ben Stokes-led England in the Pink ball Test match that inaugurated the series at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui the previous week.  

Harry Brook won the man of the match for his half-centuries in the two innings of the first Test. Brooks was the best with the bat from the English side. The bowling was as usual led by the veteran pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. They also reached a remarkable milestone during the Test which was previously booked to Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. The English pace duo became the most successful bowling partners in the longest format of the game on the international stage.

Keeper Tom Blundell who scored a hundred in the first innings was the lone warrior for New Zealand in the first Test. Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway also scored half-centuries but still cannot save their side from getting all out for 126 in the second innings. Now, the away side will look for a repetition of the previous result when they clash with the hosts. The home side needs more confidence and cutting off a few essential players, especially on the bowling side. 

Kyle Jamieson was ruled off the entire series as he was coerced to undergo surgery, but his associate pacer Matt Henry will be welcomed in this series as he has now returned to the squad with spinner Ish Sodhi. Another speedster Jacob Duffy is freed to represent their individual clubs in the Plunkett Shield. 

With Matt Henry coming back into the game, the Blackcaps will be looking for a swap with either Blair Tickner or Scott Kuggeleijn making their way. 

With Henry coming back into the fold, the Kiwis may look for a like-for-like change with either Scott Kuggeleijn or Blair Tickner making way. 

Other than that, the New Zealand side will stick to the exact same Playing XI. Southee will lead the bowling attack with Neil Wagner, Matt Henry and Michael Bracewell who is playing as a lone spin option. 

There is no injury reported till now from the English team. They have already announced an unchanged playing XI for the second test which means that Anderson will once again play along with Ben Stokes and Ollie Robinson as the supporting pacers, while Jack Leach will play as the sole spinner.

This will be the 112th Test fixture between the two sides. The three lions hold a huge gap having won 52 matches and drawn 47 Tests against the Kiwis who have just managed 12 wins so far. 

Match Details

Match: NZ vs ENG, 2nd Test, England tour of New Zealand, 2023

Date: Friday, February 24, 2023 - Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Time: 3:30 AM (Feb 24)

Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington

Pitch and Weather Report

For the 2nd match between New Zealand and England, the surface of Basin Reserve, Wellington is a balanced pitch and aids the batting side a lot. The captain, winning the toss will opt for batting first on this venue. Meanwhile, the pacers have an advantage on this ground in the initial stage to get the early breakthrough. The spinners will get benefitted in the middle overs of the game. Overall, Wellington's pitch is a batting-friendly surface. 

The Weather forecast from Friday, February 24, 2023 - Tuesday, February 28 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington is expected to have heavy downpours over the first three days of the game and be overcast with hints of sunlight on Monday and Tuesday. The temperature is anticipated to be around 16℃ with an average of 70-80% humidity and an average wind speed of 26 Km/hr.

NZ vs ENG Test Squads

NZ: Tom Blundell (wk), Tim Southee (c), Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Scott Kuggeleijn, Neil Wagner, Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi, Will Young, Matt Henry

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

NZ vs ENG Probable Playing XIs

NZ: Tom Latham, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell, Matt Henry, Tim Southee (c), Neil Wagner, Blair Tickner

ENG: Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Ben Foakes (wk), Ollie Robinson, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson

Match Prediction

Looking at England’s form and previous records against the Blackcaps, we expect them to win this match and win the series 2-0.

Suggested Playing XI Real11 Fantasy Cricket