Why Gary Ballance Will Be the Star Player for England vs. New Zealand
The announcement of England’s squad for the Test series at home to New Zealand centered primarily on new players who were included and more senior ones who were not.
There will potentially be two debutants in the form of opening batsman Adam Lyth and fast bowler Mark Wood, with batsman Kevin Pietersen still unable to revive his international career.
However, the star player this summer against the Black Caps will be another Yorkshire player, who will occupy the crucial No. 3 position in the batting order: Gary Ballance.
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That spot in the lineup will be critical for a number of reasons, and Ballance will flourish in his role as the glue of England’s batting.
Against Tim Southee and Trent Boult—ranked the No. 9 and No. 6 Test bowlers in the world by the ICC—Ballance will be relied upon to provide some stability in the top order.
He may well end up facing a relatively new ball in conditions that are likely to favour the two New Zealand seamers, especially given the rain and clouds that will likely be in the air.
In this context, the No. 3 position ends up becoming almost like an auxiliary opening batsman, as they may be required to come in almost immediately and see off the new ball.
Further to this, with a brand new opener taking the field in the form of Yorkshire team-mate Lyth, Ballance will be relied upon to be a calming influence at the crease if captain Alastair Cook is dismissed early.
He may have only played 11 Tests so far, but in his brief time in international cricket, Ballance has shown he is more than capable of rising to the challenges he faces.
Ballance’s batting average is 62.35 after a very strong start that includes four centuries: two against India, and one apiece against the West Indies and Sri Lanka.
Beyond the pure statistics, he has already shown himself to be a reliable member of the England team at No. 3, like Jonathan Trott was in that same position before him.
Perhaps he is not the most exuberant batsman or the most noticeable, but he has a quiet confidence and reassurance in everything he does that will be vital in blunting New Zealand.
When Ballance was first elevated to the No. 3 position, he had very little experience of the role, given he would normally bat at No. 4.
However, that faith England showed in him was rewarded as he scored three centuries in his first six Tests in the position.
It shows he can rise to the occasion, especially as two of those centuries came on the biggest stage of all at Lord’s, against Sri Lanka and India.
New Zealand presents a very difficult challenge, especially as they will still be on a high from their run to the World Cup final on home turf.
Boult, Southee and their team-mates will be determined to prove themselves in helpful conditions that should suit them down to the ground.
However, Ballance will back himself to have a real impact with the bat, and given what has gone before, he should be one of England’s star performers.
They need him to play a big role, and he will do just that.
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