NZ vs ENG pitch report: New Zealand will look to make a strong comeback when they host England in the second Test match of the series in Wellington starting on Friday. The hosts are still in contention for the WTC final spot and need to overcome the strong English challenge at bowling-friendly Basin Reserve.
The Three Lions took a 1-0 lead in the three-match Test series with a dominant 8-wicket win in Christchurch and will enter Wellington with one eye on a series win. Kane Williamson made a strong impact on his return to international cricket but the Black Caps struggled to impress with a ball.
Basin Reserve, Wellington Pitch Report
The reports and pitch pictures show a lot of grass at Basin Reserve for the second Test match. The fast bowlers are likely to dominate the game with a new ball but in the past, teams have managed to post big totals after initial stages. The average first innings score here is 315 with the teams batting first winning just 16 of 71 Test matches at this venue, so, the toss will be a big factor on Friday.
Wellington Test numbers
Matches played - 71
Matches won batting first - 16
Matches won bowling first - 29
Average 1st innings score - 315
Average 2nd innings score - 310
Average 3rd innings score - 249
Average 4th innings score - 140
Highest total - 680/8 by New Zealand vs India
Lowest total - 42/10 by New Zealand vs Australia
NZ vs ENG Playing XIs
Both teams have named unchanged playing eleven for the second Test with Ollie Robinson staying on the bench again for the travelling side.
New Zealand Playing XI - Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke
England Playing XI - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ollie Pope (wk), Ben Stokes (c), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Shoaib Bashir.
