NZ vs ENG 2nd Test Match Prediction

NZ vs ENG Team Previews

New Zealand

New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson has been injured and will not be available for selection for the secondd Test as well. Tim Southee will be able to call upon the services of his experienced fast-bowler, Matt Henry. That is a big boost for New Zealand since they were clearly a bit inexperienced when they took on England in the previous match.

We think they will end up dropping Blair Tickner for this match.

The question, though, is whether that will help them in any material way. England's batting is firing on all cylinders and will come hard at the bowling once more. New Zealand has to hope that its bowlers are able to pick up early wickets and keep up sustained pressure without leaking too many runs. 

New Zealand's batting was also quite disappointing in the first Test. Tom Blundell bailed out the team in the first inning while only Daryl Mitchell put up a fight in the second. Latham, Conway, Williamson, and Nicholls are all quality batters and there is clearly a lot of depth in the batting lineup. 

New Zealand must play its own way and not try to match England shot for shot. 

England

England has now won 10 out of the 11 Tests where Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have been in charge. The brazen theory of moving the game along at a fast pace under all conditions and in all situations is paying off. In seaming conditions where Anderson, Broad, and Robinson are very tough to face, having batters that can score quickly is invaluable. 

This is why England's tactics could come off in the second match as well. Players like Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and even Ollie Pope have taken their games to the next level. Even someone like Zak Crawley who has not had the best time is playing with a lot of freedom and confidence. 

With Ben Stokes, Ben Foakes, and Joe Root ( not too long back the best batter in the world) in the lineup, England's batting has the quality and depth that allows it to play while taking risks. 

Are Anderson and Broad ageless? The two just seem to go on and on without losing any quality. They ripped through the New Zealand batting in the first Test and are also very well backed up by Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, and Jack Leach. 

We don't think there is any real weakness in the England setup right now. The only risk is that they ultra-aggressive method might fail in very bowler-friendly conditions.