England vs New Zealand second Test predictions, betting tips and odds: Opener Gay can build on impressive debut

England vs New Zealand second Test start time, date, TV channel and venue 

Date Wednesday, June 17 to Sunday, June 21
Start time 11am
Venue The Oval, London
TV channel Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event

England vs New Zealand second Test betting tips & predictions 

Best bets

Emilio Gay to be top England first-innings runscorer
2pts 13-2 Paddy Power

Josh Tongue to be top England first-innings wicket-taker
3pts 11-5 Hills

England vs New Zealand second Test odds

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Odds correct at time of publication

England vs New Zealand second Test prediction

After beating New Zealand by 115 runs in the first Test at Lord's, England have had to name a much-changed team for the second match of the series at The Oval.

Joe Root captains the side as Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been dropped after breaching a team curfew during the post-match celebrations.

Ollie Robinson was player of the match at Lord's, marking his return to Test cricket with a stunning triple-wicket maiden at the start of New Zealand's first innings.

However, a knee injury has ruled Robinson out of the second Test and England's 11 includes debutants James Rew, Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker as well as returning fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Matthew Fisher.

The Stokes story overshadowed the international retirement of New Zealand batting icon Kane Williamson after the defeat at Lord's.

Williamson will not have fond memories of a treacherous pitch in St John's Wood, where the Kiwis made 113 and 138 in reply to England's 140 and 226.

England opener Emilio Gay needed some luck in the second innings to make 57, the highest individual score of the match, but his compact defence and crisp strokeplay caught the eye.

Gay scored three centuries in his first four County Championship games for Durham this season and struck an unbeaten 156 in the second innings of last summer's draw with Surrey at The Oval.

He is worth chancing to top-score in England's first innings and the hosts are odds-on to seal victory in the three-match series.

They have lost four of their last six Tests at The Oval, however, including last year's thrilling six-run defeat to India in which Josh Tongue took eight wickets.

Tongue is only playing his 11th Test this week but he should lead England's charge with the ball after claiming five wickets – including Williamson in his final innings – at Lord's.

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