Cricket Betting Tips For 2026 - New Zealand vs England 1st Test

With a dominant win over Ireland under their belts, the Black Caps will face a much tougher opponent in England in the first of three Test matches across June. 

We’re back at the home of cricket, Lord’s Cricket Ground, for the first of three Test matches. All the big guns will be on display, and this could very well be a tightly contested series. The Black Caps have a recent meeting with Ireland under their belts, but England haven’t played Test match cricket since The Ashes in Australia. Our preview takes a deep dive into everything you should know for this match, so before you finalise your cricket betting tips, see what our experts have to say!

Odds thanks to Betista (accurate at time of publication).

New Zealand

The Black Caps did what was expected of them in their only Test match against Ireland back in late May. They not only got the win, but a dominant one at that, winning by an innings and 79 runs! Now their attention turns to England.

The bowling depth is something that really stands out for New Zealand, and they could really take advantage of an unproven top-order combination for England. The likes of Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and Will O'Rourke are all ready to go.

The typical June English weather conditions bring grey skies, and with that, favourable bowling conditions, which could work in New Zealand’s favour even more. They will need to be on their A-game, though, as England is a top-tier team playing at home and is long overdue for a Test match.

England

While there are uncertainties around England’s top order, the likes of Joe Root and Harry Brook tend to always be able to save the day. They’ll likely be needed in this one, especially if England bat first, as the Black Caps will be out to make an impact in the opening session.

For the bowlers, Josh Tongue and Ollie Robinson will be the ones captain Ben Stokes turns to. For the most part, the Australian batter got the best of the English bowlers in The Ashes, so hopefully they’ve had enough time to come up with some better plans.

With rain about, expect England to bowl first if they win the toss. This will give them a chance to rattle New Zealand’s openers early. This is something we saw in Ireland’s match, where Tom Latham was out for a duck, and Devon Conway scored just four runs.

The last time New Zealand and England played each other in a Test match was back in 2024. That was a three-game series, where England convincingly won the first two matches, but the Black Caps came back to win the third match by 423 runs.

The most vital trends that you should be aware of leading into this match: 

• New Zealand have won four of their last five Test matches (with the fifth Test match a draw).
• England have won just one of their last five Test matches.
• Tom Blundell will be looking to build off his excellent batting performance against the Irish team, scoring 185 runs.

The Black Caps bowlers look stronger compared to England, and I think they can work well as a team to put pressure on the batsmen. With the uncertainty surrounding the English openers, I would say New Zealand have a decent chance of getting the highest opening partnership.

England is playing at home and still boasts a strong, yet somewhat unreliable team. A lot of the players from the Ashes series have kept their spots in the squad. This will be a close call as to who will win the game, and it really depends on which England team shows up. Will it be Baz-Ball with brains? 

Take New Zealand to have the highest opening partnership @ $1.90.

It’s all to play for, and there’s nothing like the anticipation before the first Test match of a series! New Zealand look strong, especially in the bowling department. But you can never count out England, especially at home. With rain around, the team that can best adapt to changing conditions should thrive. Don’t forget, if you’re having a bet on this game, check out our betting bonuses for extra value.