With the T20-I series against New Zealand on the horizon, England faces New Zealand XI in the second practice match on Tuesday. The first game saw Jonny Bairstow and Lockie Ferguson revel for either side with the English chasing a formidable total with relative ease. While a couple of players did get a chance to warm up for the real test, England will look to rotate its squad with the likes of Matthew Parkinson and Saqib Mahmood on the sidelines. As for the New Zealand XI, this provides a chance for them to make a statement at the expense of the English although it is billed as a practice game only. With the Bert Sutcliffe Oval playing host the second game as well, another high-scoring game awaits both sides on Tuesday.
Match Details
New Zealand XI vs England, 2nd Practice Match
Burt Sutcliffe Oval. Lincoln
October 29th, 2019
6:30 AM IST
Pitch Report
The pitch generally favours the batters with scores of 170 being expected in this game. The overcast conditions at the venue would ideally help the bowlers with some turn on offer for the spinners as well. Chasing will be the preferred option upon winning the toss for either side.
Weather Report
The weather is all clear for this game which should make for an interesting game of cricket. With a decent cloud cover on offer, bowlers should get so help with the new ball on Tuesday.
Injuries: No injuries are reported
Predicted XI
NZ XI:
New Zealand should ideally field the same side although Zak Gibson could find a place in the side at the expense of Blake Coburn. Although their batsmen were able to put up a good total, their bowling unit wasn’t able to capitalize on Lockie Ferguson’s breakthroughs in the middle overs. Nevertheless, much is expected from the duo of Colin Munro and Tim Seifert, who feature in the New Zealand senior squad as well. The presence of batting allrounders, Anton Devcich and Anaru Kitchen also bodes well for this side against a strong England side.
Colin Munro, Tim Seifert, Anton Devcich, Anaru Kitchen, Josh Clarkson, Brett Hampton, Katene Clarke, Lockie Ferguson, Zak Gibson, Christian Leopard, Anurag Verma
England:
On the other hand, England will look to rotate some of the players who had a decent run in the first game. Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran could he given a rest with viable replacements in Dawid Malan and Lewis Gregory on standby. Similarly, Eoin Morgan and Matthew Parkinson also played no part on Sunday and should feature in this match. The likes of Tom Banton, James Vince and Pat Brown should be given another go to accustom themselves with the overlying conditions ahead of the all important series against New Zealand.
Dawid Malan, Tom Banton, James Vince, Eoin Morgan, Sam Billings, Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Matthew Parkinson, Pat Brown
Top Picks:
Colin Munro and Dawid Malan are the must-have players for this game with Jonny Bairstow likely to be given a rest. Eoin Morgan and Lewis Gregory should also feature in the middle order after missing out in the previous game. As from the Kiwi roster, Anaru Kitchen and Anton Devcich scored fifties in the previous game and look to good touch. Tim Seifert is another one to watch out for while the likes of Lockie Ferguson and Tom Curran should pick a wicket or two to earn some fantasy points.
Captaincy Picks:
1. Colin Munro
2. Eoin Morgan
3. Dawid Malan
Fantasy Team & Point Projections
T Seifert, Points: 28-30, Grade: B
D Malan, Points: 68-70, Grade: A
A Kitchen, Points: 60-62, Grade: A
T Banton, Points: 55-57, Grade: A
M Parkinson, Points: 25-27, Grade: B
C Munro, Points: 75-77, Grade: A
A Devcich, Points: 39-41, Grade: B
E Morgan, Points: 80-82, Grade: A
P Brown, Points: 48-50, Grade: A
T Curran, Points: 30-32, Grade: B
L Ferguson, Points: 40-42, Grade: A
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are that of the author and not an actual reflection of the number of points that the player will earn.
