Black Caps v England: Cricket writer’s warning to Brendon McCullum: Do not underestimate NZ
Losing the wild goose chase that was England’s last Ashes campaign was bad enough.
Losing the three-test series in June against New Zealand would shake the Brendon McCullum regime to its foundations, but the tourists have a stronger attack than England.
In their warm-up game, a subdued test in Belfast, New Zealand brushed aside Ireland by an innings, as their four quicks took all 20 wickets.
It is the Kiwi way.
When they flew into India in late 2024, they probably came in at an altitude of 100ft over the ocean, so accomplished are their cricketers at flying beneath the radar.
New Zealand defeated India 3-0 in India, arguably the biggest series upset of all time
All New Zealand lack is a left-arm pace bowler – but then so do England – now that Mitchell Santner has been restored to their squad as a specialist spinner.
Santner has long been a wily white-ball operator but has kicked on since a field day in India when he took 13 wickets in a test.
If McCullum had been in England during the seven rounds of championship matches, he would have noticed how dry this season has been and how well the one-cap leg-spinner Mason Crane is bowling now that he is a regular fixture in Glamorgan’s side under the shrewd coaching of Richard Dawson.
Rehan Ahmed is a better white-ball cricketer, but Crane is currently the best red-ball wrist-spinner in England, and very arguably the best spinner of any kind.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have a better pace attack than England.
McCullum comes from New Zealand and has been living there for the last few months and should therefore have all the inside knowledge that England’s batsmen will require to play these Kiwi quicks, two of them among the tallest test bowlers ever. No excuses, therefore, if England do lose this series.
Leading the way and setting the tone is Matt Henry, whose test record is impressive enough: 140 wickets at 27. But look closer: he was ordinary when he was in and out of the side as the occasional replacement for Tim Southee, Trent Boult or Neil Wagner.
Since taking over from them, in his last 15 Tests, Henry has 85 wickets at 18.1 each.
Perhaps the biggest bunny – certainly the tallest – that test cricket has ever seen has been a constant feature in that list of victims, Zak Crawley.
In scoring 29 Test runs against Henry’s bowling, Crawley was dismissed eight times. Henry has that unerring length, which drew Crawley forward into that booming drive.
He also has the skill to make the new ball deviate one way or another, flicking his outside edge or zipping between bat and pad. He must be the nearest any New Zealander has come to being a replica of Sir Richard Hadlee.
The extreme height comes in the form of Kyle Jamieson, 6ft 8in (2.07m), and Will O’Rourke, 6ft 4in (1.95m). Only a couple of test bowlers have had a higher release-point than Jamieson, and then not for long.
Before the steeper bounce of the ball rising from the pitch comes another problem to solve - it is harder to pick up the length on which that ball is going to land. Good luck, Ben Duckett, if he is determined to “go harder” as his coach preaches.
Jamieson has the enviable record of 80 test wickets at only 19 each, and the less enviable one of not having played a test for more than two years.
He fell foul of the occupational hazard of a back injury, to which such a tall bowler is even more prone. He has been eased back in white-ball internationals, with a straighter run-up, a more chest-on delivery and a straighter follow-through.
Data suggests that South Africa look after their pace bowlers best, in that six South Africans have taken more than 300 Test wickets, level best with Australia. Their centre of excellence began in the 1990s in the sports science department of Cape Town University.
Jamieson, to cure his back trouble, had to fly from Christchurch (which is producing most of New Zealand’s cricketers at present) to Auckland, then drive from there, more than once a week, to obtain the treatment he required.
O’Rourke introduced himself to England on their last test tour of New Zealand by means of his height, his pace and his impassive reaction to provocation.
It was all going well until last summer, when he started playing for Yorkshire and back trouble struck. When New Zealand played India, O’Rourke helped to set up the astonishing series result by putting the skids under India on day one, taking four wickets as the home side were routed for 46 in Bangalore.
All of New Zealand’s pace bowlers have some experience of playing in England. They will know what they are doing. England will need Gus Atkinson and Ollie Robinson to return to their peak if they are to win this series.
What to expect from New Zealand’s quicks
Matt Henry, 34
Came from almost nowhere to slot nervelessly into New Zealand’s side for the World Cup semifinal of 2015. Had to wait a long time for a test place, but topped up his skills at Somerset. Now the attack leader, without too many miles on his clock, he hits a relentless length and forces the batsman to play. Missed the Ireland Test to nurse a “low-grade” hamstring injury.
Kyle Jamieson, 31
Back after a long lay-off, he has the natural advantage of a very high release point, which no England bowler can begin to match except Robinson. Whenever Jamieson has been able to bowl he has taken wickets: he reached 50 in nine tests, faster than any other New Zealander.
Will O’Rourke, 24
London-born O’Rourke is the son of a pace bowler who played first-class cricket for Wellington in the 1980s and 1990s. He is quicker than Jamieson and has almost as high a release point. If Jacob Duffy had been available for this tour, O’Rourke might not have got the new ball, but Duffy is waiting at home for the birth of his first child.
Zak Foulkes, 23
He is unconventional in that he bowls mainly inswing. If New Zealand start their series against England with Henry, O’Rourke, Jamieson and Smith, they might be tempted to introduce Foulkes for the third test at swinging Trent Bridge as he specialises in left-handers – and England’s top three are likely to be left-handers, with Ben Stokes to follow.
Blair Tickner, 32
He has increased his pace during his time at Derbyshire and might be worth a place on the flatter pitch at the Oval, the second test venue. Prances like a horse at the start of his run-up, then bangs it in short of a length and gets stuck into batsmen.
Nathan Smith, 27
Not quite the equal of the other bowlers in this squad, at least in pace, but he can hold a bat at No 8. He has the experience of a successful part-season with Worcestershire, and a less successful part-season with Surrey. Took his first five-wicket Test haul against Ireland, in his first five overs.
Ben Sears, 28
A bit of a wild card, in that he will only be a travelling reserve in England, but if chosen he might just have a field day. Quickest of these bowlers, he hurls himself at a batsman rather like Mark Wood, but so many have been his injuries that he has managed only two tests.
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