England vs. New Zealand, 2nd Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
England and New Zealand meet for the second match of their two-Test series on Friday, after the hosts completed a dramatic turnaround to clinch the opening Test at Lord's.
Commences: Friday, May 29
Time: 11 a.m. local
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Venue: Headingley, Leeds
Live On: Sky Sports (UK), Fox Sports (Australia), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK)
Weather: The Weather Channel is forecasting cool temperatures for the duration of the Test ranging between 13 and 19 degrees Celsius, with showers causing possible interruptions on Friday, Sunday and Monday.
Overview
England exorcised some demons this week with their stunning victory over New Zealand in the first Test of the series at Lord's.
For so long, perhaps the better part of two years, Alastair Cook's side have been labelled many things, few of them positive: dour, negative, uninspiring and hard to love. Throughout that time, England have felt like victims of their own unwavering conservatism, stuck playing a brand of cricket that has alienated too many.
But the victory over the Kiwis at Lord's represented a significant shift in that narrative. England were daring and aggressive, with Ben Stokes and Joe Root leading the hosts to a come-from-behind triumph that could prove to be a seminal one for Cook's men.
England's task now is to build upon it, with the same XI likely to be given the chance to do so at Headingley.
For New Zealand, meanwhile, recovery is now the focus.
Across the opening three days of the Lord's Test, the visitors were in control. They'd laid down a barrage on the first morning, eventually restricting the hosts to 389 on a superb batting surface, and went on to establish a 134-run first-innings lead. And when they reduced England to 74 for three in the second innings, the game almost looked buried.
And yet, somehow New Zealand walked away with a defeat, a game snatched from them in spectacular style.
Though disappointing, the loss isn't likely to result in major changes to McCullum's XI, given the strong form the team had been in prior to its arrival on English shores. In fact, the visitors, like the home side, could head into the Test at Headingley unchanged.
But even if that's the case, New Zealand's challenge is now very different. The entire dynamic between these teams has changed.
Form Lines
| W: 124 runs vs. New Zealand | L: 124 runs vs. England |
| L: 5 wickets vs. West Indies | W: 193 runs vs. Sri Lanka |
| W: 9 wickets vs. West Indies | W: 8 wickets vs. Sri Lanka |
| D: vs. West Indies | W: inns & 80 runs vs. Pakistan |
| W: inns & 244 runs vs. India | D: vs. Pakistan |
| W: inns & 54 runs vs. India | L: 248 runs vs. Pakistan |
Predicted XIs
| Alastair Cook (c) | Martin Guptill |
| Adam Lyth | Tom Latham |
| Gary Ballance | Kane Williamson |
| Ian Bell | Ross Taylor |
| Joe Root | Brendon McCullum (c) |
| Ben Stokes | Corey Anderson |
| Jos Buttler (wk) | BJ Watling (wk) |
| Moeen Ali | Mark Craig |
| Mark Wood | Tim Southee |
| Stuart Broad | Matt Henry |
| James Anderson | Trent Boult |
Players to Watch
It was a spectacular opening Test for Ben Stokes.
Across two innings, he thumped 193 runs from just 186 balls. Thumped. And then he produced a brief spell of bowling that was almost Andrew Flintoff-like on the final day to propel England to victory.
Aggressive, daring and in-your-face, Stokes is exactly what England need. And if he plays like he did at Lord's again, you won't be able to keep your eyes off him.
For New Zealand, the opening Test wasn't exactly kind to Tim Southee.
After enjoying a superb Test at Lord's in 2013, the seamer recorded combined figures of three for 266 in his return visit, and he was extremely expensive in the process.
However, an outing at the typically seam-friendly Headingley is the perfect next stop for Southee, who should relish the conditions at the Yorkshire ground.
Odds (via OddsChecker)
England: 5/4
Draw: 12/5
New Zealand: 5/2
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