KEY POINTS:
So England are here and they'll start favourites in the test series and second favourites in the one-dayers. But what do we really know about them?
Sure, you've seen Michael Vaughan serenely accumulate centuries in the cauldron that is Australia; seen Kevin Pietersen plunder attacks with the arrogance,
if not the pigmentation, of a modern-day Sir Vivian Isaac Richards. We've seen Steve Harmison endanger life and limb of opposition batsmen and his own slips cordon; Alastair Cook's broad bat; and Monty Panesar's whirlwind start to his international career (though he has hit a considerable speedbump of late).
Of those names, only Pietersen and Cook will feature in the Twenty20 and one-day series that begins in Auckland on Tuesday evening.
But even with all those satellites transmitting live cricket into our lounges, and in this age of Wikipedia, there is little doubt this England team arrives as one of the least-known since the days when the MCC sent out virtual 2nd XIs to its least cricket-savvy antipodean colony.
Here's a six-pack of players you may barely, if ever, have heard of, and what you might expect from them.
PHIL MUSTARD
Age: 25
Position: Keeper-batsman
County: Durham
ODIs: 5 (89 runs @ 17.8, SR: 95.7/6 dismissals)
A godsend for pun-tastic headline writers all over the country, Mustard faces a battle with the similarly anonymous Tim Ambrose for a spot in the one-day and test teams. English Mustard (see, just can't help it) might have the edge in the short format with his fluent left-handed batting. He comes highly recommended, with Shane Warne judging him the best one-day wicketkeeper-batsman in England last season. Such praise from the world's greatest legspinner can't be bad for your CV and so it proved with Mustard chosen for the recent tour to Sri Lanka. He was proficient enough at roundies to be a trainee at Manchester United until he was 13, then for two years at Middlesbrough, before concentrating on a proper sport.
DIMITRI MASCARENHAS
Age: 30
Position: Allrounder
County: Hampshire
ODIs: 7 (98 runs @ 24.5, SR: 116.66/6 wickets @ 35.66, ER: 3.82)
Not so easy for headline writers but the most exotically named player in the squad, with a pedigree to match. Born in London to Sri Lankan parents but brought up in Perth, he has been a regular in the Hampshire side since returning from Australia in 1996 and is one of those rare breeds who make their England debut after being awarded a benefit from their county. Mascarenhas is a classic bits-and-pieces cricketer; athletic in the field, tidy with the ball, it is really only his batting that can hurt. Indian spinner Yuvraj Singh knows this after being belted for five sixes in one over.
LUKE WRIGHT
Age: 22
Position: Batting allrounder
County: Sussex
ODIs: 2 (50 runs @ 25, SR: 121.9/ 0 wickets, ER: 5.5)
Caused a minor sensation by blasting a half century in his ODI debut against India at The Oval. Since then, his star has faded somewhat after a difficult Twenty20 world championships. Still, he is seen as one of the bright, young hopes in English cricket, with his right-handed batting more developed than his medium pacers. He created headlines when striking a 45-ball Twenty20 century for Sussex and Hamish Marshall would be able to testify to his ball-striking as well. In a 40-over match at Hove, Marshall stroked 122 off 105 balls to set up what should have been a match-winning total. Wright, however, replied with 125 off 73 balls as Sussex romped home.
JAMES TREDWELL
Age: 25
Position: Offspinner
County: Kent
ODIs: - (1051 List A runs @ 19.8/101 wickets @ 32.4, ER: 4.65)
Looking at the numbers, it is difficult to see what Tredwell has done to recommend himself to the England one-day selectors. But quality spin bowling has long been a mystery to the English and this could be an attempt to see if Tredwell has the right stuff. He apparently has a nice action and a good cricket brain, good enough to see him captaining the England Academy squad. One strength is his ability with the bat which, while not top class, is certainly handy (he has a first-class century to his name).
STUART BROAD
Age: 21
Position: Bowling allrounder
County: Leicestershire
ODIs: 21 (156 runs @ 26, SR: 69.9/ 30 wickets @ 30.3, ER: 5.02)
Perhaps the best known of the unknowns, Broad is the son of Chris Broad, England's opening bat of the 1980s, known as much for his dislike of Pakistani umpires and for knocking his own poles out of the ground as he was for his ability to compile painstaking centuries (it remains one of life's ironies that he and Clive Lloyd, who acted so disgracefully on the West Indies tour here in 1980, should become match referees but that's enough about Chris). Stuart was destined to become a left-handed opener too until one day he not only grew but discovered he could bowl at a useful clip too. His rise through the ranks has since been described as meteoric. Within a few months he had gone from cracking the Leicestershire firsts to England under-19 to the England one-day squad, making his debut not long after his 20th birthday. He has performed decently without setting the world on fire, though his tendency to be a little expensive is made up for by his ability to take wickets. Played his solitary test against Sri Lanka in December last year.
GRAEME SWANN
Age: 28
Position: Bowling allrounder
County: Nottinghamshire
ODIs: 5 (83 runs @ 27.66, SR: 87.4/7 wickets @ 25.7, ER: 4.00)
In contrast to the squad's other offspinner, you look at Swann's numbers and wonder why he hasn't played more for England. But look for clues and you will find them. This, from Cricinfo: "Called up for the final test against New Zealand during England's inglorious summer of 1999, Swann was subsequently left out of the final XI, but rewarded with a place as part of the new-look England squad to tour South Africa that winter. He found life outside the test team frustrating... his off-field conduct left some unimpressed - what some saw as confidence, others interpreted as arrogance or cheek - and he rapidly slid out of the international reckoning." In other words, they would have loved him in Australia. Swann is that rare breed of offspinner, one who tries to give the ball a real rip and take wickets. Given New Zealand's problems against quality spin bowling (or seam bowling for that matter) he should prove troublesome if there is any turn in the pitches. He can bat too, but shot selection has never been his great strength.
