NZ VS ENG 1ST ODI

After a rain-hammered T20I series, New Zealand and England are moving into the chunkier side of white-ball cricket. The action fires up at the seriously gorgeous Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, with this tasty 3-match ODI series rolling through Hamilton before wrapping in Wellington's capital setting. England haven't shown up for ODI duties on Kiwi soil since the 2017-18 season, making this only their second series since then. It’s been a proper wait, and overdue doesn't quite cover it. This is arguably where New Zealand hit their stride best, and they roll into this series fresh off a brutal 3-0 home demolition of Pakistan from their last ODI outing back in March. Before that, they cruised through a stellar Champions Trophy run, barely breaking a sweat until the final. Make no mistake, New Zealand pack a punch, especially with Kane Williamson returning and sliding back into a battle-hardened top six alongside Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell. Williamson, armed with 7 fifties and a pair of hundreds, ranks third overall and stands as the leading run-maker among current Kiwis against England in this format. While the likes of Will Young, Tom Latham and Devon Conway, the regulars in this format, will be looking to guide their side through with steady contributions. The bowling gets the job done without being flashy, though the Kiwis hold a trump card in the superb Matt Henry, who will spearhead a quintet representing the next wave of their pace attack including Kyle Jamieson, Zakary Foulkes, Nathan Smith and of course, Jacob Duffy. If this turns into a proper grind, you'd naturally fancy England's firepower, but they're far more exposed in this format than T20I, and facing skipper Mitchell Santner's spin backed by Michael Bracewell won't make things any smoother either. England’s summer spelled it out clearly. Harry Brook's squad salvaged pride with a thumping win over South Africa after already surrendering the series through two earlier losses, including an absolute shellacking when their batting crumbled at Headingley. And under the right circumstances, that fragility can surface with this England outfit who might already be peeking ahead to the upcoming Ashes. Harry Brook leads the side, which features their talisman Joe Root, currently the only English batter with over 1000 ODI runs against the Blackcaps and a tidy average of 47.63. He'll be joined by a couple of senior pros in Jos Buttler and Ben Duckett. The rest of the squad mirrors the T20I setup largely, but Sam Curran's return to ODI duty after nearly a year beefs up their middle order and adds crucial depth to the bowling options. With an already shaky bowling unit, Jofra Archer's absence cranks up the pressure, leaving Curran and Brydon Carse as their most seasoned seamers alongside Luke Wood and the young Sonny Baker. Still, Adil Rashid's spin will likely be the difference-maker once again, having been England's leading wicket-taker in this format during the calendar year with 27 scalps in 12 matches. Cricket thrives on rivalries, but when you talk about them, the one between these two sides often flies under the radar. With a 45-44 overall head-to-head in ODIs, New Zealand holds that whisker-thin lead, but England's commanding 7-3 record in their last ten meetings, including that infamous 2019 World Cup Final tie, has kept things tight. While there is no immediate agenda for this series with the next World Cup a couple of years away, both sides will be focused on fine-tuning their combinations, building momentum, and staking claims in what remains a relatively open ODI landscape. It promises to be a thrilling contest, and the weather, too, looks to be lenient this time around. Expect a spicy series as it surely will be a treat to watch two of the most prolific, the modern-day greats, and technically sound batters - Kane Williamson and Joe Root in action.