GEORGE DOBELL IN WELLINGTON: James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson have reported fit and allowed the tourists to name an unchanged team for the second Test at Basin Reserve
England's bowlers were "licking their lips" with anticipation after taking a look at the wicket for the second Test in Wellington, according to their captain, Ben Stokes.
The wicket is, even by New Zealand standards, strikingly green. And while that does not generally equate to a seaming paradise in this country, Stokes admitted that his bowlers were looking forward to going to work on it.
All three of his main seamers - James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson - have reported fit and allowed England to name an unchanged team for the match. It means Broad and Anderson find themselves back in the team at the ground where they were first paired together 15 years - and 1,009 wickets - ago.
"It looks like the lines for the wicket have been painted on the outfield," Stokes told the BBC.
The Wellington pitch 48 hours out from the second Test (@GeorgeDobell1/Twitter)
"I'm not going to lie: the bowlers were licking their lips. They might have been stiff on Wednesday, but after they looked at the pitch they felt a little bit looser. They are all looking forward to bowling this week."
While scores at the ground in this season's domestic cricket have been low - the side winning the toss has inserted the opposition on every occasion - that may be a little misleading. The games were played early in New Zealand's summer - the most recent was in November - and the Wellington batting line-up is somewhat modest. As Stokes acknowledged, New Zealand wickets often look a good deal greener than they play.
"I think that's generally how the wickets do look here at the Basin," he said. "You can't read too much into it because the ball can nip around but it can also be incredibly flat. The pace of the wicket can be a huge advantage to the batters, too."
If Anderson, in particular, required any extra encouragement - and there's really not much sign that he does - he will have received it with the news that he has gone back to No. 1 in the ICC's Test rankings for bowlers. He is, aged 40, the oldest bowler to top the Test rankings since Australia's Clarrie Grimmett in 1936.
Ben Stokes in a relaxed mood before the second Test (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)
"I don't think he'll be that fussed by it, to be honest," Stokes said. "He'll just keep doing his thing. I think those rankings, personally… Jimmy has been the best - well, certainly one of the best - in the world for a long time.
"He's someone I always look to throw the ball to when I need a wicket, having someone like him, and Broady and Robbo ... it's a real treat to captain them."
If England win it will be the first time since 2004 they have won seven Tests in a row. Anything but defeat will give them a first series victory in New Zealand since 2008. The Black Caps, the reigning World Test champions, have not lost a home series since 2006.
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