KEY POINTS:
There's more than a hint of full circle with today's test debut for teenager Tim Southee.
At 19, Southee will become the youngest New Zealand test cricketer since captain Daniel Vettori made his debut, at 18 years 10 days, also against England, at the Basin Reserve in 1997. Southee, at 19 years 102 days, will become the seventh youngest New Zealand debutant.
His rise this season has been impressive. He was player of the tournament at the recent under-19 World Cup, taking 17 wickets at a fine 6.64 apiece. In first-class games for Northern Districts his fast-medium swing bowling has brought 25 wickets at 20.64, and he took seven wickets in ND's win over Auckland last week.
He is a handy batsman, who promises more with the bat in time, and importantly, Southee has had a taste of international cricket with a couple of appearances in the Twenty20 matches against England which kicked off the tour last month.
Southee, in for the injured Kyle Mills, comes from a farming family near Maungakaramea, 25 minutes southwest of Whangarei. He admitted he gets "slightly nervous" before any game and today will be no different. Making his debut on what's expected to be a batting delight will test his mettle.
But those who know him well, all speak of a mature young man with a level-headed approach, which should hold him in good stead over the coming days.
His parents, Murray and Joanne, are making the trip south for the match which will be Southee's first on McLean Park.
There is a confidence within the team that he will not be out of place. Vettori calls him "a natural".
"Little things like the ability to bowl a yorker on command, that's a tough ask for anyone in world cricket," Vettori said. "Going up against the big guys doesn't faze him."
In Vettori's view, tests and ODIs are the next logical step in what he expects will be a long international career. And his advice to Southee, based on his own experience 11 years ago?
"Play your natural game. When I first came into the team that's what people said to me and it helped tremendously. Sometimes when you step up to this level you think you have to do something different. He's made this team because of his performances at the under-19 World Cup and in first-class cricket. He's just got to make sure he does the same thing at international level."
The other new cap, Grant Elliott, in for the injured Jacob Oram, was yesterday delighted at his callup.
The Johannesburg-born allrounder, who turned 29 yesterday, is essentially a batsman who bowls some medium pace swing. He arrived in New Zealand five years ago, partly on the recommendation of former New Zealand captain Ken Rutherford, and got his residency last winter.
His century for Wellington against Auckland last week was timely. His first-class average is 27.94, with four hundreds, and he's taken 58 wickets at 33.94.
