With back to back Ashes series this year, it could be hard to forget that New Zealand will be gracing our shores this season. However, after England only just held the Kiwi's to a 0-0 draw away from home earlier this year, Andy Flower will want his side to start the season strong against a side ranked six places lower than his England side. Here's my preview of the first of many tests this summer for our national side. After the disappointing away series in New Zealand at the start of 2013, Andy Flower will be hoping his side can put aside any doubts and whitewash a team who currently sit 8th in both the Test and ODI Rankings. When you consider that England sit 2nd in those two disciplines, the series shouldn't pose any serious threat to the home side, but the series at the start of the year almost ended in embarrassment for Flower's England side, as they stumbled to a 0-0 draw with the Kiwi's. With no Kevin Pietersen in England's squad for the series, surely an upset could be on the cards? I don't think so. England are boosted by the return of Graeme Swann (rested for the NZ tour) and Tim Bresnan (elbow injury). While the talents of Graeme Swann are widespread and he is highly regarded in the cricketing world, I really do think Tim Bresnan is an underrated player. The Yorkshire all-rounder bowls a heavy ball and can be lethal in English conditions, so watch out for him at Headingley in the 2nd test especially, where the ball tends to move around more than usual. With this extra ammunition in the bowling department, the inclusion of Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root in the side really bolsters the batting. Root has thee first class centuries this season, including an ton when captaining the Lions against New Zealand earlier this week. Bairstow has 275 runs in five matches, so he is also in brilliant form. For once I think there are genuine questions about England's strongest XI. While the batting will more than likely be Cook, Compton, Trott, Bell, Root, Bairstow and Prior at seven, the bowling is a more confusing conundrum. Graeme Swann and James Anderson will definitely start, leaving two places for Broad, Bresnan and Finn. Stuart Broad has struggled for form recently (looking down on pace) and Steven Finn has failed to really grab his opportunity when given the new ball in tests. I would personally pick Bresnan and Finn ahead of Broad. I think Broad needs to go and find some form, and fight his way into the Ashes team. New Zealand will be hopeful of causing an upset, they will be heavily reliant on the runs of Fulton, McCullum and Taylor, in tough early May English conditions. The Kiwi batting line up struggled against the England Lions, making only 285 (of which 126 were made by Fulton alone). The Kiwi top order needs to buckle down in this series, especially at Headingley, when their techniques will be fully exposed to a seaming and swinging ball. Bracewell, Boult and Southee will be the three key bowlers, and with the inexperienced middle order of Root and Bairstow, they will look to target the two young Yorkshire players. New Zealand are a better outfit than their ranking suggests, but I fully expect England to whitewash the Kiwi's 2-0. Andy Flower will want his test side in fine form, ready for a long summer against the Australians. The away fixture against New Zealand will be forgotten if England can win 2-0 here, which I think they can do comfortably.
England Squad: Alastair Cook (Essex, captain), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Nick Compton (Somerset), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Matt Prior (Sussex, wk), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire). New Zealand Squad: Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Dean Brownlie, Peter Fulton, Martin Guptill, Mark Gillespie, Tom Latham, Bruce Martin, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling (wk), Kane Williamson.