new zealand They will face England in the first match of the three-match T20I series. This article provides details about the first match of the series, England’s Playing XI vs. New Zealand.
England Playing XI vs New Zealand – 1st T20I, England Tour of New Zealand 2025:
Opening match: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (week)
England will be looking to build on their dramatic victory in their last T20I against South Africa, which saw them cross the 300-run mark.
Harry Brook’s side will be hoping to repeat the same batting performance in the first of three T20Is against New Zealand scheduled for Saturday (October 18).
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England’s batsmen will be backing themselves for that given the power in their batting department starting with the opening pair of Philip Salt and Jos Buttler.
Both batsmen are known for their top-of-the-line attacking style of play in the first six overs and will be looking to do just that against New Zealand’s bowling attack.
Salt and Butler will be looking to rack up runs to get a foothold for the next batter and gain confidence for the upcoming games.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Jacob Bethel, Harry Brook (c), Tom Bunton, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran.
The opening duo will be followed by a middle order with a good mix of youth and experience in Jacob Bethel, Harry Brook, Tom Bunton, Jordan Cox and Sam Curran.
At first glance, the above batsman appears to be relatively new to international cricket, but he has a wealth of experience when it comes to playing in various T20 leagues around the world.
The batsmen will be hoping to use that experience in the first T20I against New Zealand and help their team achieve an above-average performance by batting first.
The onus is on captain Harry Brook to lead from the front and for other batsmen like Jacob Bethel, Tom Bunton and Sam Curran to support him well, especially in the middle of England’s batting order.
Bowlers: Liam Dawson, Brydon Kearse, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood
As far as the team’s bowling line-up is concerned, they will be well-equipped to do the job perfectly against a batting order that includes quality players like Darryl Mitchell and Tim Robinson.
England will use four specialist bowlers and Sam Curran as a fast bowling all-rounder who will be in the top seven and can also bowl with the new ball if required.
Curran will be accompanied by Luke Wood and Brydon Kearse and the trio will be tasked with taking wickets in all three phases of the innings.
The spin bowling department will be handled by Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson, both of whom have extensive experience in T20 cricket and will be looking to control things in the middle overs.