England vs New Zealand: 2nd Test odds, preview & prediction

Match details

• Fixture: England vs New Zealand

• Venue: The Kia Oval

• Date: Wednesday, June 17 - Sunday, June 21

• Time: 11am BST

The big news for England is that captain Ben Stokes is unavailable for selection after an off-field incident following the first Test at Lord's. Stokes' immediate and long-term future in the side is unclear, with pace bowler Gus Atkinson also absent after being involved in the same incident. Joe Root steps up as interim captain in the meantime.

There are four changes in total for England, with debutants Jordan Cox and Sonny Baker replacing Stokes and Atkinson. Cox provides an extra batting option, with spinner Shoaib Bashir left out as England go with four seamers. Jofra Archer makes the team after being rested at Lord's due to his involvement in the IPL, while Matthew Fisher makes his second Test appearance four years after his last, with Ollie Robinson unfortunately injured following an impressive return to the team last week.

On the field, there were encouraging signs for coach Brendan McCullum in the first Test after defeat in The Ashes, as England beat New Zealand by 115 runs. Emilio Gay made a fifty on debut on a tricky wicket, while England's pace bowlers made the most of the favourable conditions to run riot through New Zealand's batting lineup. After yet more turmoil and unwanted headlines off the pitch, they'll be hoping to continue their momentum and wrap up a series win at The Oval.

England XI

1. Ben Duckett

2. Emilio Gay

3. Jacob Bethell

4. Joe Root (c)

5. Harry Brook

6. Jamie Smith (wk)

7. Jordan Cox

8. Jofra Archer

9. Josh Tongue

10. Matthew Fisher

11. Sonny Baker

There is also a major unexpected absentee for the touring party, after all-time New Zealand great Kane Williamson announced his shock retirement after the conclusion of the Lord's Test. Williamson retires as the Black Caps' all-time leading runscorer with 9,515 runs in 110 Tests at an average of 54.06, and will be remembered as part of the 'Fab Four' that defined this generation's best batters, along with Joe Root, Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.

Henry Nicholls has the task of filling those big shoes at number three, with the rest of the Kiwis' top order hoping for a better showing after scoring 113 and 138 in the opening match. It was an extremely tough pitch with both sides struggling with the uneven bounce, but only Glenn Phillips reached double figures in both innings for New Zealand.

Matt Henry suffered from back spasms at Lord's and his effectiveness was limited as a result, but he's hoping to prove his fitness ahead of the first day at The Oval on Wednesday. If he's unable to play, Blair Tickner or Zak Foulkes will be his replacement. Nathan Smith and Kyle Jamieson impressed at Lord's, both picking up five-wicket hauls.

New Zealand predicted XI

1. Tom Latham (c)

2. Devon Conway

3. Henry Nicholls

4. Rachin Ravindra

5. Daryl Mitchell

6. Tom Blundell (wk)

7. Glenn Phillips

8. Nathan Smith

9. Kyle Jamieson

10. Will O'Rourke

11. Matt Henry

England vs New Zealand 2nd Test prediction

The bowlers dominated at Lord's in a rain-affected match and on a very helpful pitch, but the forecast is looking brighter this week and The Oval tends to have batting-friendly pitches. That said, draws have been few and far between in the 'Bazball' era, and the pace of the game means another result seems likely.

The impact of the off-field drama on the England side remains to be seen, but they will certainly miss their leader, even if Stokes' form with the bat has been shaky for quite some time. The loss of both Robinson and Atkinson, who impressed at Lord's is a blow, although the return of Archer softens it.

Williamson's unexpected retirement will be a massive blow to New Zealand, whose top order was already struggling for form. Their bowlers put them in a strong position after skittling England for 140 in their first innings, but they failed to capitalise, and momentum is now with the hosts. We think England will carry that with them and block out the noise to put in another strong performance at The Oval and win, to wrap up a series victory before the third Test.

Prediction: England to win the second Test

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All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.