NZ vs ENG 2024: England announce playing XI for first Test

The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) recently came forward and announced the Playing XI for England’s upcoming first Test against New Zealand. It is worth noting that England will take on the BlackCaps across three Test matches in Christchurch, Wellington, and Hamilton, respectively, with the series opening on Thursday, November 28.

With Ben Stokes leading the side, England’s playing XI included the likes of Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and a plethora of stars. The side will hope for a good showing against the Black Caps in the upcoming series.

Bethell will be making his debut for the side, and talking about his first appearance, veteran Joe Root took centre stage and revealed how excited he was to see Bethell in action.

 "I love the look of him as a player, I've known Jacob and his family a long time, and it's been lovely to watch him grow up as a player coming through in Barbados then at Warwickshire. What he's done in the white-ball stuff more recently has been exceptional,” Root was quoted as saying by SportsTak.

 "He's full of confidence, he's got great ability and a really well-rounded game. He's a mature head on young shoulders, and I think he has all the components to set him up nicely to be successful in this format and at this level. I'm sure he'll enjoy every aspect of the week, I'm really looking forward to watching him do his stuff,” he added.

England’s playing XI for first Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir

England and New Zealand to compete for the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy

The upcoming series between England and New Zealand will be for the brand new Crowe-Thorpe Trophy. Made in the memory of the late Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe. The trophy has been crafted from the wood from the bats of each player in collaboration with NZC, ECB, and the families of each player.

Both sides will look to give their best performances in order to get their hands on the prestigious trophy. The three-game series kicks off with both sides locking horns at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch.