This Thursday yet another exciting Test series gets underway in 2023. While the most recent India vs. Australia series was highly anticipated since it featured two of Test cricket’s in-form heavyweights fighting it out, New Zealand vs. England is being looked forward to by cricket fans for entirely different reasons.
England has undergone a revolutionary transformation over the last 10 months, and it’s all been at the hands of two Kiwis: Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes. Now, the pair travel to New Zealand with their team on a hot streak of wins to see if they can win in their own backyard.
We look at the betting odds for the first Test match with odds from William Hill and break down all the best bets to place ahead of the first ball being bowled on Thursday.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 15th, 2:30 A.M. (GMT)
It’s rare that a Test side comes to New Zealand and is favoured to win but that’s exactly how England is being viewed ahead of this first Test. Bookmaker William Hill has the visitors as 2.10 favourites to win the first Test ahead of New Zealand’s 2.62. A draw, unsurprisingly, is seen as unlikely, with odds of 5.00.
Traditionally, England has been the dominant side when these two nations meet with 55 wins to New Zealand’s 12 since their first Test in 1883. However, England is win-less in New Zealand since 2008. Which trend will continue this week?
We say this week is when England’s losing streak in New Zealand will end. England is the form team in Test cricket at the moment, having won nine of their past ten matches. The Black Caps, however, have failed to back up their inaugural World Test Championship win in 2021, only winning two matches since the final 18 months ago. With a weakened bowling attack, the Black Caps will be ripe pickings for a confident English side, and we suggest backing England to win at 2.10.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 15th, 2:30 A.M. (GMT)
Those wanting to get behind the Kiwis could place a wager on their best batsman, however. Despite the fact New Zealand will likely come out on the wrong side of the result in this first Test, expect Kane Williamson to perform and get some big runs here. The top order batsman has scored three double centuries in the past three years, and is most recently coming off a brilliant unbeaten 200 in Pakistan recently.
With the 32-year-old playing at his home ground in Mt. Maunganui and no longer with the pressure of captaining the side, Williamson has every chance of being the Black Cap’s top scorer in both innings. Interestingly, all three of his recent double centuries have been scored in the first innings, so a bet on him to be the top scorer here is a sensible wager.
