Cricket: McCullum will have chance to put right 2013 loss at Lord's

Brendon McCullum will captain the Black Caps in the first test v England at Lord's starting May 21. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Brendon McCullum talks of it as his darkest time during a grim first year as New Zealand captain.

No, not the 45 all out at Cape Town which marred his first test in charge in January 2013, but the 170-run loss to England at Lord's in May that year.

New Zealand needed 239 for what would have been only a second win at cricket's most celebrated ground in 16 attempts. But they were rolled for 68, Stuart Broad slicing through a flimsy New Zealand batting display.

That hurt McCullum, but this month he has a chance to put that right. Eight of the New Zealand team on that occasion could be lining up on May 21.

Eight players flew out of Auckland last night and will eventually link up with the clutch of Indian Premier League players, plus a handful of others, including wicketkeeper BJ Watling, who will captain New Zealand in the two warmup matches, and senior batsman Ross Taylor, who are making their way separately.

There could be a view that this is the start of a fresh chapter for New Zealand, now that the memorable World Cup campaign is finished and after a short break.

Coach Mike Hesson demurs on that, arguing it is more a case of business as usual.

"It's very much a continuation," he said. "We haven't been together as a test group since pretty early in January. We've got a proud record in the last year and a half in terms of results and that group is keen to get back and carry on where we left off."

While New Zealand jumped to third on the ICC ODI rankings this week, they can overtake Pakistan and England in the test standings - depending on Pakistan's current series result against Bangladesh - and move into third.

The Lord's experience might have been in Hesson's mind when he cites combating the swinging ball as the biggest challenge for his players in England. Broad and Jimmy Anderson, so poor during the World Cup, grow an extra leg on test duty in England.

"They rely an awful lot on them and they're obviously experienced and know those conditions well.

"[The 68 all out] showed where we were at a little bit. We were very much a developing side, and still are, but I'd like to think we'd have learnt from those experiences and we are able to suck up the pressure better than last time."

New Zealand have a largely settled test side. There are two areas likely to provoke discussion for the selectors - Matt Henry, Neil Wagner or Doug Bracewell in the third seamer's role, Bracewell being the encumbent, supporting Trent Boult and Tim Southee; and the three-way opening shootout involving Tom Latham, Hamish Rutherford and the resurgent Martin Guptill. Corey Anderson is likely to take the injured Jimmy Neesham's allrounder role, providing his hairline finger fracture heals in time.

The IPL-contracted players are locked into commitments until May 18. Some might get away a day or two earlier; but either way it's far from ideal.

"That's the world we operate in now," Hesson said.

Three players, seamers Jacob Duffy (Otago) and Ben Wheeler (Central Districts) and allrounder Mitchell Santner (Northern Districts) will be with the squad for the two leadup games against Somerset and Worcester.

Hesson expects they'll be among only 12 players for the first game and is confident they will get some game time.

NZ test squad:
Brendon McCullum, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Hamish Rutherford, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Luke Ronchi, Mark Craig, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult.

Additional players: Ben Wheeler, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy.

Schedule:
May 8-11: v Somerset, Taunton (first-class)
May 14-17: v Worcestershire, Worcester (non first-class)
May 21-25: first test v England, Lord's
May 29-June 2: second test v England, Leeds