Cricket: Time ripe to fire all guns

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum leads from the front. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand will get few better opportunities to indulge in their fearless brand of cricket than the five-match, one-day international series against England starting in Birmingham on Wednesday morning (NZT).

The world's third-ranked team are coming off their maiden World Cup final appearance, English crowds are bounding through turnstiles to watch their attacking style and they have a surfeit of players ready to showcase their talents in one of international cricket's most liberal environments.

Examples of these abilities emerged on the 2013 England tour.

After becoming the first New Zealander to score an ODI century at Lord's, Martin Guptill made his then-record 189 not out in Southampton. He was involved in century partnerships for the second, third and fourth wickets in a total of 359 for three.

Mitchell McClenaghan secured a wicket every 21 balls during that series on his way to eight wickets at 17.25. Yet, such is the current bowling depth, he can't get a start. Perhaps his 3-25 to help Mumbai win the Indian Premier League final has shifted the scales.

A 5-0 series victory would take New Zealand to second in the world, a 3-2 loss would keep them third.

England have revamped after missing the World Cup quarter-finals. That tournament included arguably the most comprehensive mismatch between the countries, when England were dismissed for 123 in Wellington and New Zealand reached the target with eight wickets, 226 balls and a floodlight power bill to spare.

Forget batting averages or bowling economy rates. This team have forged a reputation on aggression where, in most circumstances, an innings of 40 runs off 25 balls trumps 70 runs off 100 balls, and 4-60 beats 0-40 from a 10-over spell.

Expect the boundary to take an early peppering with the bat, and at least three slips and a gully to be in place with the ball.

Of the eight frontline batsmen in New Zealand's squad who have played ODIs, most sustained or upped their strike rates last summer compared with their careers. McCullum (141 per 100 balls v 94) accelerated the most, but Grant Elliott (100 v 79), Kane Williamson (89 v 82) and Martin Guptill (88 v 83) made significant gains.

Corey Anderson suffered the biggest drop (103 v 123) followed by Ross Taylor (76 v 81).

In Anderson's defence, he set himself a difficult task after his sixth ODI innings in January 2014 when he reached a century in a world-record 36 balls and eventually made 131 not out from 47.

Taylor's strike rate has dropped but his average last season (50.37) overshadows that of his career (41.40).

The batting of left-arm orthodox all-rounder Mitchell Santner also intrigues, as New Zealand seek to fill the void left by the retirement of Daniel Vettori.

Santner impressed with 94 as a makeshift No 3 in the first-class match against Somerset and his record suggests he's capable of scoring quickly.

Strike rates have also been a feature of New Zealand's bowlers.

Of the seven frontline bowlers, most sustained or lowered their numbers last summer compared with their careers. Trent Boult (28 balls per wicket v 33), Tim Southee (31 v 35) and Elliott (23 v 30) made the biggest gains and McClenaghan, the second-equal-fastest bowler to 50 ODI wickets, dropped (34 v 26).

The upshot is to expect some spectacular cricket by a New Zealand team with a carte blanche approach to pursue new ODI boundaries.

• Ford, the driving force behind the Black Caps