England and New Zealand: Seek Lord’s swing
It will be a case of familiarity having bred respect when England
face New Zealand in the first of a two-Test series at Lord’s today.
England could have been forgiven for thinking they had completed the
hard part of their most recent tour programme when they wrapped up an
impressive Test series win in India before Christmas.
They then travelled to New Zealand for a three-match series against a
home side still reeling from the botched way in which senior batsman
Ross Taylor was stripped of the captaincy and replaced by Brendon
McCullum.
But the green pitches and easy haul of wickets against a New Zealand
side who as recently as January had been bowled out for just 45 by South
Africa in Cape Town did not materialise.
Instead, a three-match series ended 0-0 with England clinging on, by
just one wicket, to a draw in the finale at Auckland's Eden Park in
March where only a superb rearguard century by wicket-keeper Matt Prior
denied the Black Caps a famous win.
But at least they had regained a measure of pride after their
problems with the Proteas' formidable pace attack.
Early season Tests in English conditions often pose particular
problems for touring sides, although overcast skies are not exactly
unknown in New Zealand.
However, the raised seam of the English Duke ball provides an
additional challenge for batsmen used to flatter balls elsewhere in the
world.
Left-armers Trent Boult and Neil Wagner proved a handful for
England's batsmen in New Zealand and now Alastair Cook, the England
captain, will look to his side to respond in kind.
England seam-bowling all-rounder Stuart Broad is well aware of his
skipper's requirements, saying: “Regardless of what New Zealand did as a
bowling unit, we didn't swing the ball.
“So it needs to be looked at, and we have looked at it. We know we
can bowl a lot better than in New Zealand.” Discipline too would be key,
according to Broad, with England missing “Regardless of whether you are
moving the ball, you can still put six balls in the over into the right
area - and we probably didn't do that as a unit in New Zealand,” said
the Nottinghamshire all-rounder.
“Individuals might have done it here and there, but we were not
disciplined enough to do it consistently. It is about the discipline of
the bowling unit being together and building pressure. That's where we
let ourselves down a bit in New Zealand.” Hamish Rutherford was a thorn
in England's side with an impressive debut hundred in March, his
performance suggesting he could ease the heavy batting load carried by
Taylor and McCullum. “He's an interesting player ... the first time we
bowled at him, he whacked 170 in the first Test in Dunedin,” Broad said.
“It takes a bit of time to get used to different players like that -
he makes 'fourth-stump' into width.
“He seems a pretty talented player - and as you look through that
whole New Zealand line-up, they get quite aggressive the more you go
down as well.” New Zealand have lost five of their last six Test series
in England, with their most recent triumph a well-deserved 2-1 success
in 1999.
It's often been the fate of New Zealand touring sides to be regarded
as a 'warm-up act' for a main event of greater importance and inevitably
they've taken second billing to the Ashes series in England starting in
July. But against an England side missing injured star batsman Kevin
Pietersen through injury, the tourists will fancy their chances.
“I can guarantee from our perspective these two Tests are massive for
us,” said Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, when his squad arrived in
England.
“We are making progress as a side and we certainly wouldn't like to
be the entre for the main course later on.”
AFP
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