ENG vs NZ Prediction, 1st Test- New Zealand Tour of England, 2026- Who Will Win?

ENG vs NZ, 1st Test predictions [Source: AFP]

Test cricket returns to England on Thursday, June 4, as the iconic Lord’s hosts New Zealand in the first of the three-match series AT 3:30 PM (IST).

This is the first Test for England after their drubbing in the Ashes down under, and with some fresh faces, they will want to start the Test summer on a high, considering how strong the current New Zealand team is.

The Kiwis are coming off a big win over Ireland last week, where they brushed off the Irish in a one-off Test match by an innings and 79 runs in Belfast. In the ongoing World Test Championship cycle for 2025-27, they are comfortably second, with a big year of Test cricket coming up.

England have played two five-match series against India and Australia and are placed 7th after only managing three wins and a draw. As they look to make a mark again, we take a look at what to expect from the Test.

ENG vs NZ current form (last 5 matches)

ENG vs NZ player battles

Ben Duckett vs Matt Henry

Ben Duckett has managed to retain his spot in the team despite the Ashes loss after he skipped the IPL season and piled up runs for Nottinghamshire. This season, he has scores of 62, 93, 77 and 203* in 8 innings played and could again have an impact in the match.

He will face Matt Henry, who has been in some incredible red-ball form since 2024. In the 12 Tests played in this window, he has picked a whopping 68 wickets at an average of just 16.32. The conditions and the Dukes ball will help him feast against England as well.

Kane Williamson vs Ben Stokes

In the battle of the leaders of the respective sides, Kane Williamson is inching closer to the 10000-run landmark in Tests, and after announcing that this will be his last Test at Lord’s, he will look to make an impact in the series opener.

He is likely to face Ben Stokes, who is arguably the best England bowler when he is bowling at full tilt. He is completely fit and rested and would love to bowl to Williamson and get the big fish. Previously, Williamson has scored 139 off 206 against Stokes with only one dismissal.

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Joe Root vs Kyle Jamieson

Australian commentator, Kerry O’Keefe famously said, “Joe Root is a nicker,” during the Ashes series, and his struggles against a moving ball in the corridor outside off have come to the fore from time to time. The tall swing bowler, Kyle Jamieson, is a prime candidate who can exploit this weakness early in Root’s innings. If Root gets in, it will be tough to dismiss him.

Previously, Root has scored 67(99) against Jamieson with one wicket for the bowler.

ENG vs NZ top performers (current squad members)

Most runs for ENG vs NZ

Joe Root has scored 1925 runs in 21 Tests against the Blackcaps. He averages 53.47 with 9 fifties and 6 centuries in these matches.

Most wickets for ENG vs NZ

Ben Stokes has 17 wickets in 14 Tests against New Zealand, where he has averaged 58.70 and has a bowling strike rate of 89.20. He has the best bowling figures of 3/5 in these matches.

Most runs for NZ vs ENG

Kane Williamson has scored 1390 runs in 19 Tests at an average of 42.12 against England. He has scored 6 fifties and 5 hundreds in these matches.

Most wickets for NZ vs ENG

Matt Henry has 38 wickets in 9 Tests against England at an average of 33.15 and a strike rate of 51,90. His best figures read 4/48 against England.

ENG vs NZ toss prediction

The Lord’s has hosted 149 Test matches so far, where 54 have been won by teams batting first, while 44 have been won by teams bowling first. Nonetheless, in the early part of summer, the wickets are fresh, and the famous Lord’s slope will help the seamers for the first 4 to 5 sessions. Additionally, the conditions will be overcast, where bowlers can strike early blows.

All things considered, the team winning the toss would prefer to bowl first.

ENG vs NZ 1st innings score prediction

Final score – 338/10

ENG vs NZ 2nd innings score prediction

Final score – 317/10

ENG vs NZ 3rd innings score prediction

Final score – 245/10

ENG vs NZ 4th innings score prediction

Final score – 267/5

ENG vs NZ top players prediction

ENG top players prediction

Probable best batters

Joe Root, Ben Duckett

Probable best bowlers

Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson

NZ top players prediction

Probable best batters

Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra

Probable best bowlers

Matt Henry, Nathan Smith

Who will score the most fours in ENG vs NZ 1st Test?

Joe Root

ENG vs NZ match winner prediction: Who will win 1st Test?

Despite being a home Test, England are not going into the fixture as the favourites, considering the fresh faces in the lineup. Additionally, Jofra Archer will not be available, which is a significant jolt to them. On the other hand, New Zealand have had a good time preparing for this Test and have also done well in recent series against New Zealand.

Despite missing the services of their prime pacer from the last WTC series, Jacob Duffy, the Blackcaps have a real shot at winning this Test.

ENG vs NZ Playing XI prediction

England Playing XI:

Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.

New Zealand Playing XI:

Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Dean Foxcroft/Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Ben Sears, Matt Henry.

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