New Zealand vs England, 2019: 1st T20I – Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details

The 1st T20I of the five-match series between New Zealand and England will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

The match starts at 2:00 PM local time (1:00 AM GMT) (6:30 AM IST). The match will be live on Star Sports. Live streaming will be available on Hotstar.

Preview for Dream11 Fantasy

England and New Zealand will lock horns in the first of the five-match series on Friday in Christchurch. This is also England’s first limited-overs assignment after winning the World Cup at home earlier in the year. New Zealand, on the other hand, were at the receiving end of that controversial final, the winner of which was decided on the basis of boundary count.

Both the teams look on par in terms of hitting at the start of the series but the hosts are without their regular skipper Kane Williamson. England, however, played two practice matches in the lead up to the main contest winning the first and losing the other one. They have rested some of the top players for this series which presents a great opportunity for the fringe players picked on the back of the performances in the T20 Blast.

Weather Condition/Report

A little bit of rain is around in Christchurch in the lead up to the series opener. It will be cloudy for the whole day with the heavens likely to open up in the morning. However, there is no chance of rain coming down during the match while the dark clouds will continue to hover over the stadium. The temperature will hover around 14-15 Degrees Celsius according to AccuWeather.

Pitch Condition/Report

This is the first time, the Hagley Oval has been allotted a host a T20 International. There is no idea about how the pitch will behave. But with this being the start of the blockbuster home season, expect the surface to be a good one for the batsmen. The dark clouds might help the fast bowlers for the first few overs but with short boundaries, the batsmen should enjoy their stay in the middle.

Average first innings score: N/A

Record of the chasing teams: N/A

Injury and Availability:

England has confirmed T20I debuts for Patrick Brown and Sam Curran. Tom Banton is not expected to play and Dawid Malan is likely to open in that case.

Joe Denly has been ruled out of the first T20I after rolling his ankle while fielding practice. Lewis Gregory is likely to replace him.

Probable Playing XIs for Dream11 Fantasy

New Zealand

Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (WK), Ross Taylor, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi

Bench – Blair Tickner, Scott Kuggeleijn

England

Jonny Bairstow (WK), Dawid Malan, James Vince, Eoin Morgan, Lewis Gregory, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Patrick Brown

Bench – Tom Banton, Joe Denly, Matthew Parkinson, Saqib Mahmood

Top Picks:

Jonny Bairstow is in exceptional form in white-ball form and he showed it in the first practice match scoring an unbeaten 78 in a steep chase. Eoin Morgan will also be a crucial pick while Chris Jordan and Adil Rashid can make an impact with the ball. These players should be picked in your Dream11 Fantasy team.

For New Zealand, Colin Munro and Tim Seifert will be likeliest performers. Guptill can also be an option but to pick him, with others you will have to manage credits. Ross Taylor is also important for the home team while Lockie Ferguson is a must in the bowling department.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain Options: Colin Munro, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan

Vice-Captain Options: Colin de Grandhomme, Chris Jordan, Lockie Ferguson

Suggested Playing XI No.1 for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Tim Seifert

Batters – Colin Munro (VC), Ross Taylor, Eoin Morgan, Jonny Bairstow (C), James Vince

All-Rounders – Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham

Bowlers – Lockie Ferguson, Chris Jordan, Tom Curran

Suggested Playing XI No.2 for Dream11 Fantasy Cricket:

Keeper – Tim Seifert

Batters – Martin Guptill (C), Ross Taylor, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan

All-Rounders – Colin de Grandhomme (VC), Sam Curran

Bowlers – Tim Southee, Chris Jordan, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid

Expert Advice:

There is uncertainty around England’s playing XI as to who will play. So it would be wise to finalise your Dream11 Fantasy after the toss.

If Tom Banton is playing, then he could be made the captain in Grand Leagues.

Prefer picking more batsmen in your team as the pitch might be flat and with short boundaries on offer, runs should galore. Sam Curran can also be made VC if he is playing. But again, you will have to leave out a big player with 9-9.5 credits to make way for him.

Probable Winners:

It should be a close game but expect New Zealand to edge out England in a thriller.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.