Cricket: Six reasons NZ can't lose ODI series

Six reasons why New Zealand can't lose the five-match one-day series against England.

1) New Zealand have been honing one-day techniques in the test series. Or that is how it has been portrayed. It will be an almost seamless transition.

2) Brendon McCullum v Eoin Morgan is a no-contest in the captaincy stakes. McCullum has the game on a string. Morgan is under pressure, out of form with the bat and considered lucky to survive after a World Cup disaster.

3) England are rebuilding - which gets the excuse in first. Even Ian Bell's reliable bat has got the heave-ho in the search for more top order urgency. Moeen Ali is rested, as if they can afford that.

4) Do coaches matter? If they do, then England face further disruption, with the just-appointed Trevor Bayliss not sure if he will arrive for some of the one day series. If he does, new bonds will have to be instantly formed under pressure.

5) It won't take much to open old wounds. Big Steve Finn for instance can hardly forget what little Brendon McCullum did to him in the World Cup walkover in Wellington. Finn ended up with the rather uneconomical economy rate of 24.5 from two overs.

6) The English players must wonder if they are in England. Every time they opened a paper in recent days, they got to learn how wonderful New Zealand are. Must be rather confusing, especially after drawing a test series they were supposed to lose. Then again, sports stars never read the papers.