New Zealand and England meet in Cardiff this week to kick off a four-match ODI series.
England vs New Zealand | First ODI | Friday 8 September 2023 | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
England 12/25 | New Zealand 8/5
Gus Atkinson has done enough to earn a place in England’s World Cup squad and he should get his chance to prove he deserves the call up against New Zealand.
Liam Livingstone hasn’t been terribly impressive in the role of a floating allrounder and faces pressure for his place especially on the subcontinent.
They aren’t in India just yet though, and the raw pace of Mark Wood is sure to cause problems for the tourists.
Alongside Atkinson, there are another three left-arm quicks, with England having a particular fondness for the southpaw. They could deploy Reece Topley and David Willey as well and have shown that they will also throw Sam Curran into the mix.
Key players need to pick up some form for New Zealand to stand a chance of reaching the latter stages of the World Cup.
Devon Conway is one of those players who will be out to play himself into form, but he will have to do so in an environment that is challenging for openers.
It will be interesting to see if skipper Tom Latham takes the gloves or hands the task off onto Finn Allen.
Trent Boult’s return for New Zealand could be a massive game-changer after some time away from the national team squad.
Verdict: England
The home side should have the edge.
