England vs. New Zealand, 1st ODI: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

England will try to put their shambolic 2015 World Cup campaign behind them when they take on New Zealand in the forthcoming five-game ODI series.

But can Eoin Morgan's new-look squad realistically pull off a shock against Brendon McCullum's battle-hardened Black Caps? The same side that emphatically embarrassed them a few months ago in Wellington?

Let's take a look at how the two teams are shaping up ahead of the opening clash at Edgbaston.

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Time:  2 p.m. BST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Live stream and TV info: Sky Sports (UK), SKY Sport (New Zealand), SuperSport (South Africa), STAR Sport (India), NowTV (UK - streaming service)

Weather: With a maximum temp of 14 degrees Centigrade, according to BBC Weather, don't forget that pullover, although a rain-free forecast suggests a full game will be contested.

Overview

In previous years, New Zealand's visits to England were almost considered a starter, an early-season aperitif before the main course arrived.

However, as evidenced by their World Cup performance and the recently drawn Test series with England, the Kiwis are currently a force to be reckoned with.

What's more, their positive and aggressive approach, which saw them score at almost five runs per over at Lord's and Headingley—almost unheard of in Test cricket—has been refreshing and entertaining.

And judging from their sole warm-up game against Leicestershire, where they bludgeoned 373 runs from 50 overs, the Black Caps will continue with a similar ethos in the ODIs.

Of course, Eoin Morgan and Co. should know exactly what to expect; the same as what happened on 20 February in the World Cup group clash at Wellington.

On that day, England were skittled for 123 by a skilful display of seam bowling led by Tim Southee, who returned figures of seven for 33.

McCullum then smashed the ball to all parts, scoring 77 from just 25 balls, to seal an eight-wicket win with more than 37 overs to spare.

Except for the absence of the injured Adam Milne, the Kiwis starting XI in Birmingham will most likely be identical to the one that inflicted the drubbing in their capital city a few months ago.

And the game plan will be similar too. Namely, McCullum and Martin Guptill go hard at the beginning. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor keep the scoreboard ticking over in the middle. Before the likes of Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi and Grant Elliott provide the finishing touches.

In the field, Southee and Trent Boult are high quality pacemen and both are capable of running through sides, especially when the ball is hard and moving about.

Given their empathic win in Leeds, New Zealand's confidence should be sky high and they will be a real handful for their hosts who have selected an inexperienced squad.

Casualties from the World Cup debacle include Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Ravi Bopara, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson.

In truth, many of these players are simply being rested in order to focus on the Ashes, but the door has been opened for the likes of Sam Billings, Jason Roy, David Willey and Mark Wood to make a name for themselves.

Perennial squad members such as Alex Hales and Ben Stokes should finally get a decent run in the side and a chance to become established in the 50-over format.

On paper, England should be able to match their opponents in terms of batting firepower, but it's a different story with the ball.

The inconsistent trio of Chris Jordan, Stokes and Steven Finn will carry most of the responsibility, and it will be interesting to see where the other 20 overs come from.

One difference this time around is that England don't have much expectation and are simply looking to lay the foundations of a team that can compete in the 2019 World Cup.

How long the hugely expectant English media and supporters will give this new-look team to jell, however, remains to be seen.

In recent years, Edgbaston hasn't been a happy hunting ground for England with their last win coming in 2013 against Australia in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Additionally, as per most English grounds, the Birmingham wicket has tended to offer assistance to the bowlers, so don't expect the 300-plus scores that were a regular fixture in the World Cup.

The two sides have contested 78 ODIs in total with New Zealand winning 39 to England's 33 of the completed games.

ODI Form (Most Recent Results First)

England: NWLLWLL

New Zealand: LWWWWWW

Squads

England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Taylor, David Willey, Mark Wood

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Luke Ronchi (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Ben Wheeler, Kane Williamson

Key Players

England

Has Ben Stokes truly arrived? The Durham all-rounder lit up Lord's with a sensational century in the summer's opening Test before disappearing at Headingley. And the 24-year-old's ODI record, averaging 15.66 with the bat and 35.65 with the ball is unremarkable. With the absence of many senior players, though, this is a real chance for Stokes to prove he's the world-class all-rounder that England dearly need.

New Zealand

As far as the Black Caps' danger man is concerned, it's impossible to look anywhere else other than Brendon McCullum. The swashbuckling batsman is a one-man wrecking machine, particularly in limited-overs cricket where his "see ball, hit ball" approach has produced 5,808 ODI runs at just under a run-a-ball. If England can't collect the 33-year-old's scalp early on, then they can expect to be chasing some huge targets.

Prediction

With spin seemingly set to play little part and both sides boasting big-hitting batting lineups, it could come down to who bowls best wins. And the Black Caps, with Southee and Boult leading the way, clearly have the edge over England in this department. So, with Morgan's troops still finding their feet, expect a comfortable New Zealand win at Edgbaston setting the tone for the series.