CT 2017, Match 6, ENG v NZ: England Predicted XI

The hot favourites of the tournament and the home team, England, face the perennial dark horses of every major ICC tournament, New Zealand at Cardiff, Wales in an exciting Group A encounter as Sofia Gardens hosts its first match of the tournament. Looking back at the previous matches of the tournament, one can easily claim that this is the harder group from which a team can progress into the semi-finals.

England would face a New Zealand side who would look forward to emptying their arsenal in a must-win match against them. The Kiwis had to share a point with their Trans-Tasman rivals Australia in a match plagued with persistent rains while England would be upbeat after their convincing win against the spirited Bangladeshi side.

All in all, Tuesday would surely treat us with a thriller with two giants of cricket clashing against each other. Internally to the match, this would also be a clash of the two heavy-weight of contemporary batting between Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Both batsmen have already registered an innings defining century. Having said that let us look at the predicted eleven for the English side tomorrow.

Openers (Alex Hales and Jos Buttler)

Alex Hales was phenomenal against the Bangladeshis in the first match of the tournament as he plundered the bowlers to all parts of the ground. His innings of 95 off just 86 balls, essentially set the tone for the likes of Morgan and Root to capitalise on. The only point of concern for England would be at the other end as Jason Roy has been abysmal with the bat, to say the least.

On the contrary, looking at the purple patch of Jonny Bairstow, it is only unfair to see him warm the bench. Following an ordinary IPL, Jason Roy hasn’t been able to touch double digits since the start South African series. If England goes by logic, Bairstow should find a place in the middle order in place of Roy. Jos Buttler must bat up the order to accommodate Bairstow in the middle as we have seen the carnage Buttler can treat us with up the order.

Middle Order (Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow)

Joe Root yet again will hold the key against the Kiwis. He is expected to feature in the eleven even though he sustained a painful injury during his mammoth innings of 133* against Bangladesh. Coming in at no. 3, he must provide the necessary calm in the middle at the start of his innings after the Buttler-Hales storm.

Captain Morgan too looked at his best against the Asian side as he smashed a 61-ball 75, hitting eight fours in two sixes. Coming in at no. 4, Morgan is a danger to the bowling side keeping in mind the second powerplay where only four players are allowed outside the circle.

As discussed earlier, Bairstow should come in at the number 5 position for England, removing the only apparent weak link in their batting line up. In the third ODI against South Africa at Lord’s, Bairstow was the only shining star as he helped England to post a respectable total from 20-6 with the help of his 51.

All Rounder (Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali)

Ben Stokes would be itching to hit a few from the middle of his bat coming in at no. 6 as the top order of England ensured that the home side wouldn’t require the services of the best all-rounder of the world. The fact that he is freshly coming off a century against the South Africans in the second one-dayer would pose a threat to the Black Caps. His hitting abilities coupled with his bowling at the death makes him the player to watch out for tomorrow.

Moeen Ali, on the other hand, would look to stem the flow of runs with the pace-heavy bowling unit England. His spell would prove to be crucial if he manages to chip in with a wicket or two. In the first two one-dayers against South Africa, Moeen Ali’s exploits with the bat were also put into demonstration as he scored a match-winning 77 and 33 chronologically. Ali at no.7 along with the capabilities of Stokes makes England a formidable all-round unit.

Bowlers (Liam Plunkett, Jake Ball, Mark Wood, Steve Finn)

Liam Plunkett was essentially responsible for bringing back England into the game by making a difference of about 30 runs to the end total along with Mark Wood. He bowled a couple of brilliant overs during the fag end of the innings. Plunkett also picked up four out the six wickets in the Bangladeshi innings. With Chris Woakes out of the tournament due to a side strain, the onus now lies on Plunkett to bowl during the high-pressure situation.

Jake Ball had a forgettable outing against Bangladesh as Tamim, Mushfiqur and Sabbir plundered the Englishman to all part of the ground to take 82 off his ten overs. He would want to make a statement against the Kiwis to justify his selection.

Steve Finn would also want to cement his place in the side as he was handed a golden opportunity with Woakes out with an injury. Ideally, Plunkett, Wood, and Ali are expected to bowl their entire quota of overs with Stokes, Ball and Finn completing the rest of the 20 overs.