England vs New Zealand: Test series preview

New Zealand's cricketers could suffer a culture shock with a potential to undermine their bid to win the three-Test series against England, which begins on May 15. The Kiwis are available at 10 on Betfair to win the series with the hosts 1.32 and the draw 5.8, but five of their key men could find it difficult to adjust. Click here for a free £25 to bet on England vs New Zealand with Betfair Captain Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Jacob Oram, Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills are due to arrive from a spell in the Indian Premier League. The Twenty20 tournament in front of 100,000 crowds with cheerleaders and blaring music will be a far cry from the austere surroundings of Lord's. Never mind the difference in venues and formats, there are rumblings that the New Zealanders already in England - they are currently playing warm-up matches ahead of the first Test - are unhappy that the 'big five' have been allowed to miss the early preparations. New Zealand have also been hit by the retirement of Stephen Fleming and the loss of Shane Bond over a contract row and, weather permitting, the 4 about the Kiwis suffering a whitewash for their second successive visit looks a decent bet. England could welcome back Andrew Flintoff to the side after proving his bowling fitness. Flintoff looks to have recovered fully from a fourth ankle operation and has claimed that he has been bowling at full pace with Lancashire. How he will slot in to the England team remains to be seen. James Anderson looks the most likely to make way but given Matthew Hoggard's fine domestic form, vice-captain Paul Collingwood could be vulnerable. Michael Vaughan will need runs to ensure his place does not also come under threat, although he should be confident of leading the team against South Africa in the eagerly-waited clash of the summer. The Yorkshire player guided England to a 2-1 victory over New Zealand in March and it would be a surprise if the skipper was removed in the middle of back-to-back series wins. Click here for a free £25 to bet on England vs New Zealand with Betfair Betfair is the world's leading betting exchange and licensed bookmaker in the UK. Over 15 million bets placed a day! Get your Betfair £25 Free bet now!