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, New Zealand Playing XI vs England.
New Zealand Playing XI vs England – 1st T20I, England Tour of New Zealand 2025:
Opener: Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (week)
New Zealand will be hoping to get off to a winning start and win the first of three T20Is against England to take an early lead in the short series.
The Black Caps will be boosted by the return of regular captain Mitchell Santner, who did not take part in the team’s previous T20I assignment against Australia, but they lost the match 2-0.
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The home team will be hoping their batsmen use the bat more than they showed in both matches against Australia to give their bowlers the best chance of defending their target.
To that end, the onus will be on the team to get off to a good start with the power play in New Zealand’s opening game.
The opening duo of Devon Conway and Tim Seifert will be looking to put up a strong performance as a pair and individually against England’s strong bowling line-up.
Middle-order batsmen and all-rounders: Mark Chapman, Tim Robinson, Darryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson
As far as mid-table teams are concerned, for a team to score more than 200 total points, they will need to capitalize on the foundation laid by their opening pitchers, which could lead to a win with the first batsman.
If you look at the resources that make up New Zealand’s middle class, there are names like Darryl Mitchell, Tim Robinson and Mark Chapman, who are a good mix of youth and experience.
Tim Robinson, who scored the goal of the century in the first T20I against Australia, will aim to continue his form in the series opener against England.
Mitchell, who formed a big partnership with Robinson in the same match, also hopes to make a big contribution with his ability to create spin in the middle overs.
Besides the two batsmen, Mark Chapman and James Neesham will also be expected to have good bat skills.
Bowler: Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry
In terms of the bowling department, Mitchell Santner will be back, adding depth to the team’s batting alongside Michael Bracewell, who captained the team against Australia in Santner’s absence.
The two will be responsible for the team’s spin bowling, while Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry will be responsible for the fast bowling department.
Duffy and Henry will be supported by Kyle Jamieson and James Neesham as the two fast bowling all-rounders.
The home side will have at least six bowling options, which could go up to seven if Darryl Machell is also to bowl, further strengthening an already balanced bowling line-up.

