Herald cricket writer Dylan Cleaver with three quick thoughts of the Cricket World Cup group A game between England and New Zealand.
1. Can England win in Wellington tonight?
Of course they can. This is a two-horse race between two thoroughbreds and although New Zealand have a massive form advantage, things can change very quickly in one-day cricket. In James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn, England have a world-class bowling attack, so there is no way New Zealand can go into this thinking they are going to breeze past the Poms.
2. This is pretty clearly what Mike Hesson and Brendon McCullum consider their 1st XI.
That means that injury permitting, we'll probably see the same team eight days later against Australia. New Zealand will then need to look to get some cricket into the unlucky four - Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kyle mills and Nathan McCullum - in the two gimmes against Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
3. It would give the camp a lot of confidence if Ross Taylor not only scored some significant runs today, but scored them fluently.
It has been a strangely patchy season for the brilliant Taylor. Just when you think he's truly out of nick he comes back with a big score, which is the sign of a very good player, but New Zealand would love to see him get on a consistent run. The fast starts New Zealand are getting at the top almost seem to have given Taylor a comfort zone he doesn't need. He bats best when he bats with urgency, but at present seems too intent on playing himself in, and he bats himself into a hole in the process.
