ODI Cricket Betting at Betfred
The England selectors have chosen a one-day squad for their tour of New Zealand with one eye very much on the future.
While speculation continues to grow that Eoin Morgan will commit to leading England into the defence of their World Cup title in 2023, a number of untried younger players are included for the upcoming five-match T20 series against the Black Caps.
It’s a surprise that New Zealand are not being given the chance to avenge their controversial defeat in the World Cup Final in the 50-over format but I’m sure that there will still be some resentment still simmering when the two teams so eventually clash again in the longer form of the limited-overs game.
Only three of England’s World Cup final XI are on the white-ball leg of the tour, though Tom Curran and James Vince were non-playing members of the squad in the summer.
Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Ben Stokes are among those being rested while there is no place for Liam Plunkett and David Willey. Neither of the latter pair have been awarded ECB central contracts so their international careers are at a crossroads. Four players are receiving their first international call-ups and a fifth, Lewis Gregory, is still to make his international debut.
Tom Banton is a fresh new talent among the batting ranks while seam bowlers Pat Brown and Saqib Mahmood have plenty of variation and have proved problematic for batsman in the Vitality T20. It will be interesting to see how they adapt to international cricket, though both were put to the sword by New Zealand international Colin Munro in England’s final warm-up game.
England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (captain), Jonny Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Matt Parkinson, Adil Rashid, James Vince.
New Zealand have played 16 T20 internationals against England but only won five. That record compares unfavourably to their stats in ODI’s against the same opposition, in which they have better than 50 per cent strike-rate.
Tim Southee will be captaining the Black Caps for this series as regular skipper Kane Williamson is struggling with a hip injury and is being rested.
Williamson, who has an average of more than 31 over 57 T20 internationals, has played a lot of cricket over the last two years. But he is expected to be fit for the two-match Test series with England later this winter. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been named in the New Zealand squad for the first three games as he recovers from a broken thumb but he will be replaced in the final two matches by left-armer Trent Boult.
New Zealand T20 squad: Tim Southee (c), Trent Boult (games four and five), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games one, two and three), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner.
The more familiar names belong to New Zealand and they also have home advantage. But conditions will be familiar to England’s rookies and they have now had a taste of what international cricket is all about.
Captain Morgan and Jonny Bairstow will be expected to proved the experience among the batting ranks. The latter already has runs on the tour and knows he need hold nothing back as he is being rested for the Test series. But there are concerns that the bowling attack may not be equipped to keep a lid on the powerful hitting of the New Zealand top six, especially as Adil Rashid admits he is still not fully fit.
New Zealand to win 4-1 in the Correct Score betting is 7/2 – the Black Caps are 11/5 with Betway to win 3-2. Johnny Bairstow will be targeted but rarely shirks from a fight and is a general 5/2 to be England Top Scorer in the series.
