The England Tour of New Zealand kicks off with an exciting Test match. The highly anticipated match started on Wednesday, November 28. This game is crucial for both teams as it will decide who will own the final spot in the World Test Championship 2025. 

Contents hide
1 Test Preview: ENG vs NZ – Battle of the Red Ball
2 Key Highlights of the Match
2.1 Venue Dynamics
2.2 Weather
2.3 Pitch Report
2.4 Head-to-Head
3 Key Players to Watch Out
3.1 Team New Zealand
3.2 Team England
4 Suggestions for Your Dream11 Team
5 Review After Day 1 of 1st Test NZ vs ENG

England Vs. New Zealand Match 2024

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You need to know everything about the match before forming your dream team. While the match is on, you can still place your bets according to our predictions.

The first Test between New Zealand and England is underway at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. This marks the start of the three-match Test series from November 28 to December 18, 2024. The three consecutive test series will be held in Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton. 

Test Preview: ENG vs NZ – Battle of the Red Ball

After their historic win against India in ODIs, New Zealand has received a significant boost of confidence. Now, New Zealand is hosting Team England for the test match series. New Zealand’s brilliant performance in the last tournaments has solidified their standings in the WTC rank list. Their qualification scenario will become clear if they perform well in this series. Besides, playing on their home ground will add to their outstanding form.

Team England is not in their best morale after losing in their last test match in Pakistan. Despite winning in the first test match in the series against Pakistan, they struggled to keep up with their performance. In the second match, they faced a brutal defeat of 152 runs. In the tiebreaker match, England’s entire lineup collapsed. They lost with a 2-1 margin. Their test match with New Zealand is their chance to reinstate their chances of holding a good position in the WTC. 

Key Highlights of the Match

Venue Dynamics

As we go down the tracks, Hagley Oval has consistently favored batting since the early days, while pacers become more effective as the game progresses. Teams bowling first have a higher winning record at this venue. 

For the 1st match in this test series, England chose to bowl. Let’s have a quick look at the current conditions:

Weather

According to Accuweather.com, the weather at the venue looks good for cricket. The temperature in the morning was around 27 C, with winds blowing NW 36 km/h. Despite the cloudy weather, there are no chances of rain or thunderstorms during day 1. 

The weather in Christchurch is expected to be mostly cloudy throughout the five days. The temperature will range between 11 and 27 degrees Celsius, with no chance of rainfall. 

Pitch Report

The pitch is expected to be bowling-friendly. With the overcast, it will become advantageous for the pacers, while spinners might not find as much success as the fast bowlers.

England’s bowlers did succeed in bowling 8 wickets down of the New Zealand team by the end of day 1. 

Head-to-Head

Historically, out of 112 matches, England has dominated the rivalry with 52 wins. But, this time, New Zealand aims to leverage the idea of playing on the home ground. New Zealand will make the most of the familiar conditions and boost their chances of securing the final spot in the WTC. To play the WTC finals in 2025, the Kiwis will have to win this game along with the two upcoming matches in the championship.

A general view of a cricket ball

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After whitewashing India 3-0 in the One Day International (ODI) series, New Zealand has strengthened its chances of winning with the return of Kane Williamson. If they manage to whitewash England this time, their winning percentage will jump up to 64.29%. Losing even one watch will drop their chances to 57.14%. 

England has had a rough ride after recently facing two defeats in Pakistan. Those losses have significantly impacted their chances. Even if they manage to whitewash New Zealand on their home ground, their highest chances range up to 48.66%. 

Key Players to Watch Out

Team New Zealand

Batsman Kane Williamson, Devon Conway, Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra 
Bowlers Mitchell Stantners, Trent Boult

Team England

Batsman Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook
Bowlers Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir 

Suggestions for Your Dream11 Team

For Head-to-Head/ Small Leagues:

  • Captain: Matt Henry
  • Vice-captain: Chris Woakes
  • Wicketkeeper: Devon Conway, Ben Duckett
  • Batters: Kane Williamson, Joe Root
  • All-rounders: Chris Woakes, Rachin Ravindra, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell
  • Bowlers: Tim Southee, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke

For Winner Takes it All/ Grand Leagues 

  • Captain: Joe Root
  • Vice-Captain: Glenn Phillips
  • Wicketkeeper: Devon Conway 
  • Batters: Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Harry Brook
  • All-rounders: Nathan Smith, Glenn Phillips 
  • Bowlers: Brydon Carse, Matter Henry, Tim Southee

Pro Tip: A 2-2-4-3 or 2-3-3-3 will be ideal for the match. 

Review After Day 1 of 1st Test NZ vs ENG

  • On the opening day of the series, England chose to bowl first. The day ended with New Zealand making 318 runs with a loss of 8 wickets after playing 83 overs.
  • Kane Williamson, being the show’s star, flourished to make 93 runs out of 197 balls. 
  • T Latham scored 47 runs out of 54 balls, while Glenn Phillips batted through close to 41 but not out. They were prime contributors to the total runs besides Kane Williamson. 
  • England took 8 wickets, with Shoaib Bashir taking 4 wickets (R. Ravindra, T. Blundell, N. Smith, and A. Henry); Other wickets were taken by Brydon Carse (T. Latham, D. Mitchell) and Gus Atkinson (Kane Williamson)

How many more runs do you think New Zealand can make before losing their 2 wickets? Will England be able to hold their winning record against New Zealand? Let’s find out in the days that follow! 

Meanwhile, don’t forget to check team prediction today match and win big. Or, if you’re new to the crease, don’t forget to check out our blog on 5 Proven Tips on How to Win Fantasy Cricket and Win Big!