England continue their preparations for the upcoming Cricket World Cup in India with a four-match ODI series against New Zealand, starting in Cardiff on Friday.
The pair drew their recent T20 series 2-2 but Jos Buttler's hosts look better placed to kick off the 50-over contests with victory.
- England to win
- Jos Buttler top England runscorer
- Sam Curran over 34.5 performance points
WATCH IN THE ZONE - JASON ROBINSON
Hosts Should Be To Strong
The last time England met New Zealand in an ODI was in the 2019 Cricket World Cup final at Lord's, arguably the greatest limited-overs match of all time.
England won on boundary countback after a Super Over to be crowned 50-over world champions four years ago, so the Kiwis will be desperate for revenge at Sophia Gardens.
The two teams are set to do battle again in the first game of this year's World Cup so Friday's match is an early chance to size up the opposition.
England have a rock-solid record at Sophia Gardens, losing just three of the 15 completed ODIs at the venue.
The hosts’ batting line-up is arguably the strongest in international limited-overs cricket and that strength at the crease can power them to victory in Cardiff.
Buttler To Lead From The Front
The responsibility of being white-ball captain does not look to be weighing too heavily on Jos Buttler, and the return of Ben Stokes to the fold may actually take the spotlight away from the skipper even further.
Buttler relishes batting at Sophia Gardens, registering five half-centuries from eight innings in the Welsh capital.
The England skipper has an ODI average of 41.5 and he could promote himself up the order if regular opener Jonny Bairstow, who suffered an injury in the last T20 encounter, doesn't feature.
Take Buttler to lead from the front for the hosts with his destructive style particularly suited to the relatively small dimensions of Sophia Gardens.
JOS BUTTLER TOP ENGLAND RUNSCORER
Curran To Shine
Sam Curran is a player who will be seeking to play a major role in England's World Cup defence, and the Surrey all-rounder will want to perform against New Zealand, particularly as he could be the man to make way for the returning Stokes.
Curran played an instrumental role in the Oval Invincibles' title success in The Hundred this summer and has a very respectable ODI batting average for a lower-order player of 24.46.
The all-rounder can contribute with both bat and ball in Cardiff and is fancied for over 34.5 performance points in bet365's player performance market. Curran will get one point for every run he scores, 20 per wicket and 10 per catch.
SAM CURRAN OVER 34.5 PERFORMANCE POINTS
