This tour is New Zealand's best chance to improve their dismal Test record against England

By Ravi Venkat New Zealand embarks on a tour of England on the back of a successful ODI World Cup where they reached the final for the first time in their history. But Test cricket is a totally different ball game and their previous performances in England paint a rather bleak picture. The two teams have played 99 Tests against each other - England have won 47, New Zealand have won eight, while 44 have been drawn. In England, they have played each other 52 times, with England winning 29 and New Zealand winning four. [caption id=“attachment_2255850” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] New Zealand have won only one Test series in England. Getty Images[/caption] This is the 17th time that New Zealand is touring England in Tests. They’ve won the series just twice while England have won on 13 occasions, with one series being drawn. New Zealand has failed to win even a single Test in a series on 13 occasions. All these stats suggest that England should walk away with a series triumph without much effort. But there are some factors which suggest that this could be New Zealand’s best chance to improve their record in England. English cricket is in disarray due to the Kevin Pietersen saga. While there is no doubt that he has done everything in his power to get selected by skipping the IPL and has been scoring big runs in county cricket, England’s director of cricket Andrew Strauss has cited issues of trust and has ruled out his selection in the team for the English summer. There is no doubting Pietersen’s ability with the bat and the fact that when he is on song, he is England’s most destructive and charismatic player. But his detractor’s allege that he is a divisive force in the dressing room. Moreover there are rumours that the incumbent captain Alastair Cook has stated in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t want Pietersen in the team and has even given an ultimatum to the team management that if Pietersen is selected then he will resign in protest. Experts like Ian Chappell have stated that it isn’t necessary for everyone in a cricket team to get along and that maverick players should be accommodated as they have the ability to single-handedly change the course of the game. There is no doubt that an England team with Pietersen is far stronger than one without him. Moreover there have been issues with Cook’s form. He has scored just one century in his last 37 Test innings. Over his last 22 Tests spread across two years, he averages 35.48 with the bat. Had Cook not been the captain, you wonder if he would still have a place in the team. With Jonathan Trott’s retirement from Tests, there is a weakness in England’s top order which can be exploited by New Zealand’s fast bowlers. While England’s bowlers, led by James Anderson, are certain to acquit themselves well in home conditions, the Kiwis also have swing bowlers in Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Neil Wagner to cause England problems. While the sample sizes are small - Boult has played just two Tests and Southee three Tests in England – their numbers are much better than their overall records. Southee has taken 12 wickets at an average of 24.50 and a strike-rate of 52.1 while Boult has eight wickets at an average of 20.37 and a strike-rate of 49.5. Over the last one year, Boult has taken 28 wickets at an average of 29.71, while Tim Southee has taken 24 wickets at 30.2 from eight Tests apiece. Neither of them has a five-wicket haul. Over the same period, Anderson has taken 54 wickets at a bowling average of 19.98 with two five-wicket hauls from 10 Tests, while Broad has taken 36 wickets in the same number of Tests at 27.75 with one five-wicket haul. However, England have played seven Tests at home compared to just two for New Zealand and that could explain why Anderson and Broad have the better figures. When the series gets underway at Lord’s today, it will be New Zealand’s 400th Test and also the 100th Test between these two sides. The match is being played at the Mecca of cricket and this will only be added motivation for New Zealand to upset the English applecart. Some statistical highlights in Tests between the two teams on English soil: 1) The highest score by a New Zealander in England is 206 by MP Donnelly at Lords in 1949. Richard Hadlee has played the most Tests by a New Zealander in England with 14 and Martin Crowe has scored the most aggregate runs with 845. 2) The highest score by an Englishman in Tests between the two teams in England is 310 by John Edrich at Leeds in 1965. Graham Gooch has scored the most aggregate runs between the two teams in England with 987 and has played the most Tests by an Englishman with 12. 3) In the bowling department Derek Underwood has the best bowling figures with 7/32 at Lords in 1969 and Ian Botham has the most aggregate wickets with 37. For the Kiwis, the best bowling figures are 7/74 by Lance Cairns at Leeds in 1983 and the highest aggregate wickets are 70 by Richard Hadlee.