England vs New Zealand, 1st Test Stats Preview: Players records and approaching milestones

After over a two-month dosage of exciting and entertaining T20 cricket in IPL 2022, the ultimate format is back and back at the Home of Cricket, Lords. England and New Zealand will lock horns in a three-match Test series starting on June 02, 2022, in London. The second and the third Test matches will get underway on June 10 in Nottingham, and June 23 in, Leeds respectively. The hosts are suffering a low point in the longest format of the game but will enter the series with a new captain and a new coach at the helm.

Interestingly, former New Zealand player and captain Brendon McCullum has been hired as England’s red-ball cricket coach and his first assignment straightaway will be against his own country. After Joe Root stepped down from the captaincy role, the England and Wales Cricket Board wasted no time in appointing their premier all-rounder Ben Stokes as their new skipper. Hence, the Three Lions side will begin a new era in this format under the watchful eyes of McCullum and Stokes.

Coincidentally, New Zealand’s last year’s tour of England began on the same date June 02, and at the same venue. Devon Conway will be having fond memories of that game as the classy left-handed opener had smashed a double century on his Test debut. New Zealand ended up that series of 2021 as the winners by a margin of 1-0 (2).

Meanwhile, the Kiwis last played a Test series back in February this year when they drew two-match series 1-1 with South Africa at home. The English side suffered a 1-0 (3) loss away to West Indies in March month. A fascinating series is on the cards between two strong teams as the inaugural World Test Championship winners NZ take on a side that is beginning a new era in the longest format of the game.

Meanwhile, here are some of the important stats and numbers ahead of the 1^st Test between England and New Zealand:

Head-to-Head: England and New Zealand have met each other 107 times in Test cricket with England winning on 48 occasions and New Zealand just on 12. 47 games ended up in a draw. In England, the hosts have a dominant record against the mighty Kiwis. Both have clashed in 56 games in which the English side has won 30 matches and the Kiwis emerged winners just six times. 20 encounters ended up in a draw.

6 – Devon Conway (94) requires six fours to reach 100 fours in Test cricket.

6 – Neil Wagner (244) is six scalps away from completing 250 wickets in the longest format of the game.

8 – Joe Root (992) needs eight runs to complete 1000 Test runs against New Zealand.

15 – Henry Nicholls (285) needs 15 fours to reach 300 fours in Test cricket.

1 – Anderson (99) needs one catch to get to 100 catches in the Tests.

111 – Joe Root (9889) needs 111 runs to reach the landmark of 10000 Test runs.

4 – Stokes (146) is four grabs away from reaching 150 catches across formats.

2 – Zak Crawley (148) needs two fours to get to 150 fours in Test cricket.

9 – Stuart Broad (341) needs nine wickets to complete 350 wickets in Tests at home.

2– Ben Stokes (198) requires just two sixes to get to 200 maximums across formats.

34 – Kane Williamson (15466) needs 34 runs to complete 15500 runs across formats.

11 – Jonny Bairstow (9489) requires 11 runs to get to 9500 runs across formats.

110 – Colin de Grandhomme (1390) is 110 runs away from reaching 1500 Test runs.

109 – Root (16891) requires 109 runs to complete the milestone of 17000 runs across formats.

6 – Ben Foakes (44) requires six fours to complete 50 fours in the Tests.

16 – Williamson (16) requires 16 runs to get to 3500 runs in away Tests.

1 – Broad (99) is one grab away from reaching 100 catches across formats.

2 – de Grandhomme (48) is also two wickets away from completing 50 wickets in the Tests.

3 – Root (247) is three grabs away from reaching 250 catches across formats.