After a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh, in the tournament opener of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy on June 1st at The Oval, the hosts England would be aiming to continue their winning momentum against New Zealand which is also seen as an all-important clash, for both the teams, when they would wrestle on Tuesday (June 6), at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales.
While talking about the bowling front, England skipper Eoin Morgan would be hinging on promising all-rounder Ben Stokes, as their bowlers would have had learned from their all-important lesson against Bangladesh, a side which has given their best shot while riding on Tamim Iqbal’s century before Joe Root smashed 129-ball 133.
Vital to anchor the innings, the right-handed batsman Root knitted a significant partnership of 143 alongside his skipper Eoin Morgan for the third wicket – to make chase easy for the hosts.
An only headache in the batting line-up seemed to have Jason Roy’s dismal performance with the bat, who was able to score just a single off eight deliveries. On the other side, swashbuckling opener, Alex Hales played a pivotal role while chasing the target of 306, as he posted 86-ball 95 runs.
However, England had faced a major blow when Chris Woakes was ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy after picking up a side strain while bowling against Bangladesh. The all-rounder was able to bowl just two overs which saw him conceding just four runs.
However, Woakes has been replaced by lanky fast bowler Steven Finn, who is expected to bend his back – to yield the desired results in nutshell and he could prove handy in the home games. Coming to the Jake Ball’s Bowling who was battered by Bangladeshi batsmen conceding 82 runs which only saw him picking the wicket of all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who scored just 10 off 13 balls.
Following this, it’s highly expected that left-arm fast bowler and wily customer David Willey might be inducted into the playing XI. The leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who missed out on the first game, is expected to find his place in the team.
Interestingly, the home side will rely on depth in the batting department which further is comprised of quality power-hitters, who are supposed to play their respective role in crunch situations of the game.
However, it’s pertinent to note, if England happens to win against Kane Williamson-led New Zealand they would qualify for the knockout stage, as The Black Caps and Steven Smith led Australia have shared a point each, in a washed-out game at Edgbaston on June 2.
Aware about Kiwis performance in their abandoned match, Morgan would be eyeing to execute their plans well while expecting a better performance from his bowlers in Wales.
Recent ICC Champions Trophy Guide:
In head-to-head contests, England faced New Zealand twice in the ICC Champions Trophy history, as both have eked out a win each after giving their best in the competition against each other.
England first met New Zealand in 2013, before facing off at the Sophia Gardens when England defended 169 runs, as visitors were restricted to 159 in 24 overs, in the rain-truncated game. However, in 2009, in the Group B fixture, England was bundled out for 146 in 43.1 overs in Johannesburg, which further saw The Black Caps achieved the target in 27.1 overs to claim the convincing win by four wickets and 137 balls to spare.
Talking Points:
England has to give their best against New Zealand, as they are laced with quality top-order which is further supported by the pace battery comprised of David Wiley, who had added variety alongside Mark Wood, Benjamin Stokes and Liam Plunkett.
The three Lions would be relying on Joe Root and Eoin Morgan, as they have to face the quality side this time around. It would be an interesting matter to see how they will capitalise on the home conditions, as the fresh surfaces have had favoured batsman, in past couple of seasons.
With the ICC’s 18-day tournament going on, the grey skies have grabbed the headlines most of the times which further interrupted a couple of the games, in the initial stage of the tournament that further irked the die-hard fans of different countries.
Coming to the conclusion, England top-order would be itching to repeat their Bangladesh performance against the World No. 4 ranked Kiwis.
England’s Predicted XI For New Zealand Match:
Eoin Morgan (skipper), Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (Wicketkeeper), Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, David Willey, Liam Plunkett, Steven Finn.