ENG vs NZ T20 World Cup Preview: Abundance of experience and firepower as two balance sides meet at The Gabba

Another big clash awaits us in T20 World Cup 2022 as England take on New Zealand on Tuesday. With what we have seen in this World Cup so far, this match could very well live up to the raised standards. These are two most exciting T20 sides full of dynamic players and one can’t wait for the action to begin soon. This one too promises to be another mouthwatering encounter.

When England came to Australia, they were billed as hot favourites by a lot of experts. Some even went on to say that they will go all the way to the finals and lift the trophy for the second time. However, their campaign so far has not gone as per plans. England have not played like favourites. Jos Buttler’s side are a little bit stuttering clearly at the moment. They started off with a win vs Afghanistan and then came the upset against the Irish. However, one must admit that rain has played a big role in their ordinary campaign in the tournament this far.

They got a little unlucky vs Ireland and the game vs Aussies was completely washed out. New Zealand is next and they are coming into this match with a lack of rhythm. But despite them blowing hot and cold, I still feel England are a wonderful side. Their top order batting is just fantastic. Jos Buttler at the top, who we all know is a 360 player and has the experience of playing for many franchises all over the world. Has had success playing in all conditions.

Then they have a batter like Alex Hales coming into the lineup. On his day, he can be tough to stop and has experience of playing in the Australian conditions thanks to his stint in Big Bash league. Ben Stokes, the all-rounder, may be out of form with the bat but he can never be counted out. Can play the role of a floater. Dawid Malan has a lot of experience now and there is a sense of calmness in how he goes about things.

When I look at the English top order, and the likes of New Zealand pacers Trent Boult, Tim Southee who are the swing kings, it makes for a fascinating battle. You throw in Lockie Ferguson and the battle intensifies even further. The fast bowlers would of course like the surface at The Gabba. But they got to be mindful of the fact that if they are slightly off their length, they could get punished at this pitch as well. It is a small ground at the straight but it is a
big ground on the square. Expect bowlers to use change of pace more often here.

Now a look at the spinners in New Zealand camp. Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner are quality but I don’t know they will both be playing vs England on Tuesday night. They did p lay at SCG but perhaps here the Kiwis may go for more pace.

It is important for New Zealand to get a couple of wickets early to get into the contest. To try and put pressure back on England batting stars. If they can pick wickets inside the powerplay, that would be crucial for New Zealand.

On the other side of the coin, you look at England’s pace bowling led by Mark Wood and Chris Woakes. Wood is extracting a lot of pace off these surfaces in Australia and along with Haris Rauf, Lockie Ferguson, is among the fastest bowlers in the competition. It won’t be easy playing someone who does not drop his pace below the 140 kph throughout the spell. This is a good bowling lineup and there is variety too with left-arm seam of Sam Curran and spin of Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid.

New Zealand should be happy that one player or the other is taking the responsibility to guide them through in this World Cup. Remember how Daryl Mitchell stepped up in the last World Cup’s semi-finals. This year Finn Allen, Devon Conway and recently Glenn Phillips have contributed immensely with the bat whenever the team was down. But it is also true that captain Kane Williamson needs to perform with the bat now. This World Cup we have not really seen Kane Williamson get in and stand his authority and bat for, say, 15 overs. Question is can he do it against England? It is a great stage to do it at The Gabba. He is lacking an innings of substance. It is about time he gets among runs as that would help New Zealand massively.

To sum it up, on Tuesday, we have two very, very balanced sides with a lot of T20 experience and firepower. It is surely an unmissable contest. With all the surprises and shocks that the World Cup has thrown at us, we should be ready for some more.