Exciting new England got a bit too excited at the Ageas Bowl. Batting first with a morning start and then continuing to swing for all money with wickets tumbling – and then wasting 28 balls of their innings – were both symptoms of a side perhaps trying too hard to instill the characteristics of a new regime. It has been fun to watch them in the three matches so far, but this series has, in the ultimate analysis, only yielded them one win. But that doesn’t matter, we are led to believe, at this stage of England’s development. And that can be held to be true – another near-capacity crowd is expected at Trent Bridge and they will not have paid for England to go all pragmatic in pursuit of victory.
Batting with gay abandon certainly entertains and it is England’s bowling attack that needs to be shored up if this team is to win more matches – something that has perhaps been overlooked in the series so far; concerns blown away by record totals with the bat. England have Steven Finn back performing well. Finn was very defensive about his World Cup record – he was England’s leading wicket-taker – and has come back strongly with the second-best economy rate of anyone in the series to have played two or more matches. David Willey swung the new ball at the Ageas Bowl and Mark Wood was very impressive in the same match and should have got England back into the match but for dropped catches. England seem to have different options to turn to and for the final two matches could call on a pair of twins from Devon to provide an extra edge to their attack.
New Zealand already have a pair of siblings in their XI and both have helped their side to a series lead and the chance to clinch the rubber at Trent Bridge. Key to their success has been the form of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who shared big stands in both matches New Zealand have won at The Oval and Ageas Bowl. Taylor’s return to form is perhaps the best story of the tour, playing with renewed fluency and back to the run-scoring he showed against India at the start of 2014, when he also made back-to-back centuries. He followed them up with another ODI hundred in his next game at the back end of the year and matching that feat at Trent Bridge could help New Zealand continue their superb ODI form: they have only lost two of their last nine series stretching back to November 2013.
Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LLWWL
New Zealand WWLLW
In the spotlight
Jason Roy has been sounded out for some time as an uninhibited hitter from county cricket that could fit well with an England ODI side looking for revolution but his three innings this series have yet to show that potential. His best innings this season – 140 and 143 – have come in the County Championship; instead returning four single-figure scores against the white ball in four T20s for Surrey.
On New Zealand’s last tour in 2013, Mitchell McClenaghan was playing just his second series and blew England away with eight wickets at 17.25, going for just 4.89 runs an over. He has maintained an impressive ODI record and earned an IPL contract this season but in this series has struggled. Even accounting for the flat wickets, four strikes at 55.25, leaking over eight runs per over has been a disappointment.
Teams news
England have the headline-grabbing option of selecting twins for the first time after Somerset fast bowler Jamie Overton was called-up to the squad to join his brother Craig. But both David Willey and Mark Wood impressed at the Ageas Bowl so England are likely to field an unchanged side with no further injury worries.
England (possible) 1 Alex Hales, 2 Jason Roy, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Sam Billings, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Steven Finn
New Zealand are also likely to be unchanged with the only option to bring Nathan McCullum back into their XI as another slow option – but he conceded 152 runs at 9.50 an over in the opening two matches before being left out at the Ageas Bowl. He could replace Mitchell McClenaghan who has only been slightly less expensive.
New Zealand (possible) 1 Brendon McCullum (capt), 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Ben Wheeler, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan
Pitch and conditions
This series has benefitted from superb batting wickets at all three venues and Trent Bridge is likely to provide another to keep the runs flowing. The forecast suggests a shower is possible late in the afternoon but otherwise warm with sunny spells.
Stats and trivia
Seven members of the England side that played the last ODI against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, back in 2013, are not in the squad for this series. England comfortably defended 287 in that match
New Zealand have played six ODIs at Trent Bridge but only two of those matches have been against England. They beat Sri Lanka in 1979 and India in 1999 but lost the other four fixtures, including an 80-run reversal in 1975, which was also a World Cup match
England’s record at Trent Bridge is exactly 50% with 13 wins and losses. They also tied against Australia in 1989 with two late run-outs and conceding a scrambled bye off the final ball
Quotes
“It looks like we’ve won our fanbase back in one-day cricket.”
Alex Hales sums up the benefit of England’s attitude in the opening matches of the series.
“If this side were at the World Cup, I think they’d certainly scare a few teams.”
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson on the opponent’s form.