Cricket: Caribbean crushers

By RICHARD BOOCK

The New Zealand cricketers now head to England for three tests and a one-day series. They've shown steady improvement but face an England side brimming with confidence after hammering the West Indies. Here are five of the players who will pose the biggest threat to the Black Caps' fortunes ...

MATTHEW HOGGARD

Almost a blast from the past in terms of the old-fashioned, England fast mediums, Hoggard (wicketkeeper here on the beach) needs no introduction to New Zealanders after his match-winning seven-wicket bag at Christchurch in 2002.

Square across the shoulders and rump, the bustling right armer possesses invaluable stamina and will almost certainly prove difficult for the New Zealand batsman on English pitches in May.

For all that, the West Indians might also point out that he performs quite adequately on flat belters, following his hat-trick in the third test at Bridgetown.

Perfect foil for Steve Harmison and Simon Jones.

MICHAEL VAUGHAN

Has had a forgettable tour of the West Indies, top-scoring with 32 and eking out 98 at 19.60, for one of the worst series returns of his career.

But Vaughan (batting) remains one of England's classiest right-handers and, if allowed to dictate, can play a team out of the game within the space of a day. Has a better record at home (51.00) than abroad (44.66) but enjoyed a golden summer last season in Australia, where he scored three centuries and was later named Wisden's Cricketer of the Year.

Strong on the drive and hook, Vaughan's sense of adventure also means he sometimes loses his wicket in unorthodox fashion.

ANDREW FLINTOFF

When Chris Cairns retires at the end of the third test at Nottingham, the race to be the world's best all-rounder will be reduced to Flintoff, New Zealand's Jacob Oram, and South Africans Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis.

Weighed down at the start of his career by ridiculous comparisons with Ian Botham, a trimmed-down Freddie has started to look more comfortable in the test arena, and showed his liking for home conditions against South Africa last year, when he scored 423 runs at 52.87.

A more refined bowling action seems to be preserving his fitness, and he celebrated his consistency with a five-wicket bag in the final test against the West Indies.

STEPHEN HARMISON

From Ashington, the Northumberland village that brought us the footballing Charlton brothers Bobby and Jackie, Harmison wrote himself into the record books last month when he took seven for 12 against the West Indies.

Not only did this lead to the once-great Caribbean side being skittled for 47, it also meant an Englishman now holds the Sabina Park bowling record.

Tall, and able to produce top-line pace if not pin-point accuracy, the 25-year-old quickie has been making steady progress in the test arena, helping England square the series against South Africa with four wickets at the Oval, and then taking the Man of the Match gong at Dhaka.

GRAHAM THORPE

Probably England's most dangerous batsman, Thorpe has emerged from the mortification of an exceptionally public marriage split-up and subsequent decisions to make himself unavailable, to once again become the flagship of England's run-scorers.

The 34-year-old left-hander, who made his maiden test double century against New Zealand in 2002, was his team's most prolific batsman in the Caribbean tests and scored an unbeaten 119 during the series-finale at Bridgetown.

Has scored three centuries against New Zealand but is still seeking his first on home soil. As Chris Martin would have already noticed, is one of three left-handers in England's top five, along with Mark Butcher and Marcus Trescothick.

The test venues

* Lord's, first test, May 20-24: New Zealand have played 13 tests at the home of cricket but it wasn't until their most recent showdown, in 1999, that they finally scored their historic first win. Having already slumped to a 1-nil series deficit, Stephen Fleming's side bounced back in the second test, Chris Cairns taking six wickets as England were dismissed for 186, and Matthew Horne scoring a century as New Zealand responded with 358. From that point, New Zealand went on to win by nine wickets and later secured their second series win on English soil.

* Headingly, second test, June 3-7: The scene of New Zealand's first test win in England in 1983, when first Lance Cairns destroyed the home side with seven for 74, and then "Charlie" Chatfield finished them off with a five-wicket bag in the second innings. Walter Hadlee's famous 49ers also earned a meritorious draw in New Zealand's first test at Leeds. But New Zealand's next three tests in 1958, 1965 and 1973 all ended in defeat by an innings or more.

* Trent Bridge, third test, June 10-14: The home away from home for New Zealand's Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns, the latter of whom is poised to retire after this winter's series-finale at Nottingham. Trent Bridge has not always been a happy hunting ground for New Zealand teams, but it did play host to the famous triumph in 1986, when Jeremy Coney's "Ilford 2nd XI" posted New Zealand's first series win on English soil. Hadlee took six first-innings wickets, John Bracewell stretched NZ's advantage with a century from No. 8, and David Gower ended the game by being no-balled for throwing. Gower remains the only Englishman to be called for throwing in a test.