England vs New Zealand: Kiwis target Alastair Cook in battle to boost Test standing

Just what England need, a motivated, upwardly mobile cricket unit with a point to prove. Flush from their incredible World Cup odyssey, losing out only in the final to Australia, New Zealand begin their two-Test tour of England at Taunton aiming to establish their credentials in the traditional form of the game.

With English cricket in the midst of another bout of recrimination and introspection following the defeat in Barbados that let West Indies draw the series, New Zealand’s coach Mike Hesson sees an opportunity to push the claims of his team and gain some respect.

Hesson accepts the Kiwis are considered England’s hors d’oeuvres before the Ashes series in high summer, but believes his team have the necessary qualities to make matters even more difficult for an England team in turmoil.

“Some of it has been because of performance, that we’ve been down the pecking order in terms of our ranking,” Hesson said. “Often England have two tours and we normally get the early one and tend to be a bit of an entrée to the Ashes.

“It seems to be the way we’ve been used in the past, that’s just the way it’s been. You have to earn the right for those longer series, you do that over a period of time and that’s something we’re looking to do.”

“We don’t do the scheduling but we’re starting to earn the right now to play longer series than two Tests. It’s something we would like to happen and our administrators are trying to make that happen. If we keep doing our job on the field, hopefully the rest of it takes care of itself.”

New Zealand have won four times on English soil but never taken a series. Such is the growth in confidence, coupled with the commensurate downswing in English morale, the Kiwis fancy their chances.

“It would be another step forward for us as a group,” Hesson said. “To win a series here would be huge. There’s definitely expectation and that’s something we probably haven’t had a lot of. We’ve got more of a following at home and there’s an expectation that we will perform well over here.”

New Zealand will be without their IPL superstars – captain Brendon McCullum, Tim Southee and Trent Boult – for the tour matches against Somerset and Worcestershire, but when the first Test starts in a fortnight all three will be available.

The latter pair, in particular, are central to New Zealand’s prospects, with the England captain, Alastair Cook, their principal target. “New ball bowling is important for us, the way Boult and Southee start sets the tone for the Test match,” Hesson said.

“We’ve been able to have success against Alastair home and away, bar the Test at Leeds [in 2013]. I know Trent asks him some pretty tough questions with the angle and swing he creates so, hopefully, we can get it swinging over here and challenge him early on. If he gets in he’s a tough man to get rid of, so the first 10 to 15 balls are pretty important.”

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s national selection manager and former opening batsman, Bruce Edgar, who was one of the men behind the team’s brilliant World Cup showing, is stepping down after declining a new role as head of talent identification.