England Captain Stokes Backs Crawley to Improve Test Record Against New Zealand

England’s captain, Ben Stokes, has expressed confidence in opening batter Zak Crawley to enhance his poor performance against New Zealand during the upcoming second Test in Wellington. Crawley currently holds an average of under 10 across his 17 Test innings against the New Zealand team. In the initial Test, where England secured an eight-wicket win, Crawley scored zero and one run, which lowered his average against the Black Caps to 9.88. The 26-year-old player was absent from the final three Tests of the summer season due to a broken finger; however, in the preceding year, he achieved an average of nearly 44 against other opponents. Stokes commented to BBC Sport, stating, “Some guys have bogey teams, some guys have teams they do really well against.” He further added, “We’re one Test match into a series against New Zealand, but over the past 18 months Zak has been absolutely phenomenal for us.” Crawley’s difficulties stem from his participation in nine Tests and 17 innings played against the Kiwis. Dating back to 2000, only one other Test cricketer has participated in an equivalent number of innings against a single adversary and concluded with a lesser average: Marlon Samuels of the West Indies, who averages 9.81 versus Sri Lanka. Stokes highlighted the significant role played by Crawley and his fellow opener, Ben Duckett, in establishing the initial momentum for England’s innings. Among all opening partnerships for England in Tests that have played together a minimum of 10 times, the Crawley-Duckett duo’s run-rate of 5.03 surpasses the subsequent fastest partnership, comprising Crawley and Alex Lees, by at least one run. Stokes further remarked, “Those two have been such a successful pairing for us.” He continued, “They go out there with a mindset of putting the opposition bowlers under pressure straight away, not allowing them to settle in.” Both the England and New Zealand teams will field an unchanged lineup for the contest at the Basin Reserve, scheduled to commence at 22:00 GMT on Thursday. This signifies another Test match abroad for England’s seamer, Chris Woakes. The 35-year-old possesses an unfavorable record when playing away, with his wickets averaging 51.4 runs each, in contrast to 21.6 runs per wicket on home soil. During the opening Test held in Christchurch, Woakes executed a vital contribution in New Zealand’s second innings, dismissing Kane Williamson and Tom Blundell with consecutive balls. Stokes stated, “Someone with his skill level should never doubt themselves wherever they are in the world.” He added, “It’s belief in himself, belief from myself and Brendon McCullum that he’s not just someone who is going to be playing in England.” Should England triumph in Wellington, it would mark their inaugural Test series victory in New Zealand since 2008. New Zealand’s performance in the initial Test was subpar, characterized by dropping eight catches. Despite pressure on wicketkeeper Blundell and seamer Tim Southee, who is set to retire following the third and final Test, the team has not implemented any changes. They have once more chosen not to include a primary spinner, instead depending on the off-breaks of all-rounder Glenn Phillips. Captain Tom Latham remarked, “Going by the games here, the Wellington first-class games, the balance that we’ve gone in with is right for this wicket.” He continued, “We obviously have some spin options in that top seven anyway.” The previous encounter between these two teams at this venue, in February 2023, resulted in one of the most remarkable Test matches ever played. England suffered a defeat by a single run, making them only the fourth team in history to lose a match after enforcing the follow-on. Stokes commented, “It was an amazing Test to be a part of.” He added, “I’m one of the very few players who can say they have been involved in a game where one run separated two teams.”