Follow UsWe are back yet again at Lord’s, the place that saw the rise of Devon Conway, a place that saw the downfall of the England team and in specific, their head coach Chris Silverwood. But this time the narrative is different, England are with a new coach, a new captain but can they start the three-match Test series with a new ideology?
Both sides are languishing in the bottom half of the World Test Championship table, with England at the bottom with just 18 points while New Zealand find themselves at sixth place with 28 points. Which side will come out on top?
Ground Details and Team Combination
In the last three years, only four Tests have been played at the Lord’s but even then, it paints the perfect picture there is about the venue. Lord’s is a paradise for the pacers and as evidence suggests, 123 wickets at the venue in the last three years have been taken by pacers. Only 12 wickets have been taken by spinners, which shows that the wickets are not the most conducive to the spinners.
The average first innings total at the venue is 271, with teams batting first having won 50% of the matches. So, it is still a 50-50 game but the weather should in all dictate whether teams would want to bat first or not. In overcast conditions, it would be a wise ploy to bowl first at the venue.
New Zealand can be without the services of both Trent Boult and Henry Nicholls for the first Test while England are far away from much injury concerns in the squad picked.
Suggested Team
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captaincy and Vice-captaincy suggestion
Small Leagues – Joe Root (c), Devon Conway (vc)
Grand Leagues – James Anderson (c), Jonny Bairstow (vc)
Stats that matter
• Since the start of 2020, Joe Root is the top run-scorer at Lord’s, with 295 runs at the venue, averaging 98.3 with an unbeaten 180 being his high-score.
• Devon Conway’s memorable debut at Lord’s saw him score 200, and a total of 223 runs in the Test across just two innings. His Balls per Dismissal (BPD) is the highest at the venue, at 205.5.
• While James Anderson has picked 110 wickets at Lord’s, in the last two years, he has only picked up seven wickets. His average remains third-best at the venue all-time, behind Fred Trueman and Sir Ian Botham.
• Since 2020, the average first-innings total at Lord’s has been 371, with scores diminishing at 333, 234 and 145 across the next three innings, which shows the value of batting first.
• In Trent Boult’s absence, Tim Southee will be crucial for New Zealand, with seven wickets at the venue in just one Test since 2020.
• Zak Crawley has been dismissed twice in 12 balls against Tim Southee scoring just the one run.
Grand League punts
• Despite only picking up seven wickets since 2020, making James Anderson your captain in Grand League might be a punt worth taking, considering he is the highest wicket-taker at the venue.
• At Lord’s, Jonny Bairstow has an incredible record and even it he might be a risky player, an average of 44.21 with a hundred since 2015 is exceptional.
• Openers have tended to do well at the venue. Considering that, Zak Crawley might be a high-risk high-reward bet, considering his record at the venue. Crawley is England’s third highest run-getter since 2020, only behind Stokes and Root.
• In the shadow of Tom Latham, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Conway and Ross Taylor, Blundell has gone unnoticed. Picking the right-hander might be a good choice, with 537 runs in the last two years. While he isn’t the most consistent player (2 ducks), there is a good chance that he will live up to his reputation of being a tough player.
Predicted XI
England XI: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes (wk), Matthew Potts, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach
New Zealand XI: Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Kane Williamson (c), Will Young, Henry Nicholls*, Tom Blundell (wk), Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel
*Subject to clearing the fitness test