NZ vs ENG 1st Test: Hagley Oval Christchurch Pitch Report

Hagley Oval Pitch (Source:@SnakeMcHardy/X.com)Hagley Oval Pitch (Source:@SnakeMcHardy/X.com)

The race for the WTC final is heating up and New Zealand is now ready to take on England in the three-match Test series. It is an important series for the Kiwis as they have reignited their hope of qualifying for the all-important finale of the purest format. England though are a strong unit full of match-winners and it would be interesting to see how the battle unfolds when the two teams go head-to-head at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

England have already announced their playing XI and Jacob Bethell is all set to make his Test debut. They are going with three pacers while Shoaib Bashir is the only spinner in the XI. They have a strong batting line-up and after struggling a bit on turning tracks in Pakistan, they would be looking to get back among runs. 

For the home side, Kane Williamson is ready for  the comeback and he will replace Will Young, who was the player of the series in India. The skipper Tom Latham has also confirmed than Nathan Smith will make his debut and let's now see how the surface will behave at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch in the first match of the series.

Hagley Oval Christchurch Stats And Records In Tests

Criterion
Data
Matches Played15
Matches won batting first4
Matches won bowling first9
Average 1st Innings Score284
Average 2nd Innings Score303
Average 3rd Innings Score272
Average 4th Innings Score179

Hagley Oval Christchurch Pitch Report: Is It Batting Or Bowling Friendly?

The surface at Hagley Oval, Christchurch generally provide good help for the pacers on the opening day and ahead of the Test, there is good live grass on the pitch. It means that the pacers are likely to get help throughout the course of the game but as the match moves on, the batting will become easy. 

So, traditionally, the teams bowling first have been successful in Test cricket on this ground with nine wins out of 15 matches. Tim Southee has enjoyed bowling at Hagley Oval and has picked 61 wickets in 13 matches while Matt Henry has also been pretty successful. So, the bowlers who can pitch the ball just ahead of a natural good-length consistently can extract maximum benefit while if batters are likely to score more freely from Day 3 onwards. Spinners though are likely to have a minimal role in this match and the team winning the toss would most likely bowl first on this pitch.

Players To Watch Out For At Hagley Oval Christchurch

Matt Henry

Matt Henry has a great record in Test cricket, and has picked 105 wickets in 27 matches. In his last Test match at the Hagley Oval, Henry picked nine wickets. Overall, he has 31 wickets in six Test matches at the venue, and his ability to generate good seam-movement and hit accurate lines and lengths are likely to be pretty handy against England in first Test.

Chris Woakes

The seam-bowling all-rounder will enjoy bowling at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch as he has the ability to make the ball talk in seaming conditions. The surface for the first Test has good grass on it and Woakes has great record in such conditions. He is also a handy batter and can score crucial runs for his side, so it makes him one of the players to watch out in the first Test.

Daryl Mitchell

Mitchell has been consistent across formats in the last couple of years. The right-handed batter has 741 runs in seven matches against England at an average of 74.10 with three hundreds and five fifties. He has a good average of 56.26 at the Hagley Oval too, and has scored two hundreds in six Tests. He can also chip in with his seamers, and it could be effective on this pitch, making him one of the player to watch out.