New Zealand v England: Test cricket betting preview, free tips & where to watch

Cricket tips, best bets and predictions for New Zealand v England in the two-match Test series.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Cricket, from 10pm Wednesday

Best bets

1-1 series correct score
3pts 2-1 general

Back this tip with bet365

Jofra Archer top England series wicket-taker
3pts 15-8 general

Back this tip with Paddy Power

Tom Latham top New Zealand series runscorer
2pts 4-1 general

Back this tip with bet365

Team news

New Zealand
Kane Williamson has recovered from the hip injury that kept him out of the Twenty20 series. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is pushing for a Test debut.

England
James Anderson, Mark Wood, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow missed out on the Test squad. Jos Buttler will keep wicket, Sam Curran is likely to be preferred to Chris Woakes, and Dom Sibley is set for a debut at the top of the order.

Series preview

New Zealand and England have been involved in some thrilling head-bobbing finishes in the past few months and the two-Test series between these well-matched rivals should be another tight contest.

England pipped the Black Caps to the World Cup by virtue of hitting more boundaries in July's final at Lord's and there was more Super Over pain for the Kiwis in this month's Twenty20 series.

England prevailed 3-2 in the T20s, only after the decisive fifth match had gone to extra-time, and the teams may well prove hard to split in the red-ball format too.

The 1-1 correct score looks a solid favourite and it narrowly failed to cop during an eventful two-Test series in New Zealand last year.

England were thumped in the first Test in Auckland after being bowled out for 58, with 33 of those runs coming from number nine Craig Overton.

They picked themselves up in Christchurch and were denied a share of the series spoils by a doughty lower-order stand between Ish Sodhi and Neil Wagner (56 off 168 balls) and Neil Wagner, who frustrated England with a heroic seven off 103 deliveries.

England's strengths and frailties were on show in their 2-2 Ashes draw with Australia although a post-World Cup hangover must have been a factor in their patchy performances.

There is no doubt the side is packed with matchwinners. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer produced the most eye-catching displays in the summer but a death-or-glory approach to Test batting has undermined England far too frequently.

Skipper Joe Root has demanded a more patient approach in this series and a home bowling attack including Trent Boult, Tim Southee and the pacy Lockie Ferguson must be respected.

However, England have two in-form young batsmen in opener Dom Sibley and number six Ollie Pope (both, significantly, batting in their natural positions in the order) with a classy safety net of Jos Buttler at seven and Sam Curran at eight.

Stuart Broad and Archer are a formidable new-ball pair in helpful conditions for the seamers and the well-rested Archer should be backed to lead England's charge.

He took 22 wickets in his first four Tests against Australia, including two six-wicket hauls in an innings, and even the serene Steve Smith was troubled by his pacy short-pitched bowling.

After a well-earned break, Archer has looked sharp in two warm-up games, taking 2-46, 2-58 and 3-34, and his ability to finish off the tail makes him a tempting bet to be top England series wicket-taker.

One man bidding to blunt Archer and his fellow bowlers is Tom Latham, who is quietly establishing himself as one of the most reliable openers in Test cricket.

Latham signed off last year's series against England with a second-innings 83 in Christchurch and his five subsequent home Test knocks included 264 not out and 176 against Sri Lanka and 161 against Bangladesh.

His most recent Test innings was another big one, 154 in Sri Lanka in August, and last month he made 224 for Canterbury against Wellington when none of his teammates reached 50.

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