England will be hoping to put a tough week of off-field headlines behind them this weekend, as the second test match with New Zealand gets underway at Edgbaston.
First Test Round-Up
The stakes couldn’t be bigger for the second test between New Zealand and England, as it will be winner takes all at Edgbaston this weekend. Rain caused havoc on the play in the first test, as neither side was able to get over the line to get a result.
It was a shame that a winner wasn’t crowned in the first test, as the play on show was captivating throughout at Lord’s. New Zealand batted first in the match, and were led to a high score of 378. Devon Conway was certainly the star of the show, as the Kiwi was awarded the Player of the Match, thanks in part to his excellent score of 200 in the first innings. Henry Nicholls was another high scorer for New Zealand in the first innings, as he scored 61.
Ollie Robinson took four wickets in the first innings, but will be missing the second test after the discovery of old social media posts. He was subsequently suspended by the ECB. The suspension has been disputed from all corners of the cricketing world, and was also discussed in Parliament by British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.
England weren’t able to reach the score set by New Zealand in their first innings, as they managed to get just over 100 away from the score set. Robinson scored 42 from 101 balls, while Rory Joseph Burns produced an excellent score of 132. However, Tim Southee was in inspired form with the ball for New Zealand, as he took six wickets from his 25.1 overs.
New Zealand looked to drive home their advantage in the second innings, as they scored a total of 169 to set England a score of 273 to win. Tom Latham scored 36, while Ross Taylor scored 33. Robinson’s impressive debut continued with three further wickets, while Joe Root also took one.
New Zealand’s declaration meant that England needed 273 to win, but they could only get to 170 before the game was halted and ended in a draw. Dom Sibley scored 60 not out, while Joe Root hit 40. It is unknown whether England would have got the extra 103 runs that they needed, but the second test will see the teams start again.
Second Test Prediction
The weather forecast for the weekend in Birmingham ensures that we will have a winner this weekend, with no rain in sight. England will certainly suffer without having the in-form Robinson at their disposal this weekend, but they remain the narrow 1.10 favourites with BetXChange to win the second test.
England will likely bring in Jack Leach, Olly Stone and Craig Overton to compensate for the loss. New Zealand are also expected to make changes, with a number of their star players likely to be rested. Matt Henry and Doug Bracewell could both be rested. However, the batters that the visitors have could prove crucial in the second test.
