England vs New Zealand 2022: when is 1st cricket Test match, who's in the squad, series fixtures, TV channel

The first Test match of England’s international cricket season is finally here and will be a hugely momentous occasion.

Not only does this Test match kickstart England’s busy summer, but it will be the first Test match under the new regime, with Ben Stokes as captain and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum leading the coaching team.

After a disastrous run of results in 2021 and beginning of 2022, England’s head coach Chris Silverwood, ECB Managing Director of Men’s cricket Ashley Giles and captain Joe Root all stepped down from their roles.

Ben Stokes was then confirmed as the new skipper, shortly after Rob Key took over from Giles’ position at the top of the chain.

McCullum has been the latest addition to the party, bringing with him only a small amount of experience at the top.

The former New Zealand captain has previously coached the Trinbago Knight Riders and Kolkata Knight Riders and it remains to be seen how transferrable his skills with these sides will be when he takes on an international Test squad.

Much has been made of England’s ‘new era’ of cricket and finally, the time has come where fans will be able to see whether all of the past months of turmoil has come to fruition.

With just two days to go until the Test begins, here is everything you need to know...

When is England v New Zealand?

The first Test match will begin on Thursday 2 June and will conclude (if all five days are needed) on Monday 6 June 2022.

Each day is scheduled to start at 11am BST and play will likely conclude around 7pm BST depending on the light.

The second Test match takes place 10 June - 14 June while the third and final Test match is 23 June - 27 June 2022.

Where is the Test match taking place?

The first Test match will take place at Lord’s Cricket Ground, often referred to as the home of cricket.

The second Test is set for Trent Bridge, Nottingham, while the third Test match will be played at Headingley Carnegie, Leeds - the place Ben Stokes and Jack Leach made famous for their victorious last wicket stand against the Australians in 2019.

How to watch England v New Zealand on TV

Sky Sports Cricket have the rights for all the coverage from England and New Zealand’s Test match series. The programme will begin an hour before the start of each day.

Bundles for sports packages start from £25/month.

How to stream England v New Zealand

The Test matches will be available to stream through Sky’s app SkyGo and through NowTV passes.

How to buy tickets for England v New Zealand

Tickets are available to purchase for all three Test matches through the individual grounds which can be found on the ECB website.

Those who wish to purchase Lord’s tickets will have to create an account with the MCC in order to continue with their order.

Who is in the squad?

Durham’s Matthew Potts is set to be given his first international cap after being selected for the opening Test.

Batter Harry Brook will have to wait until the second Test to see if he will make his international debut.

England squad: Ben Stokes (C), Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.

New Zealand squad: Kane Williamson (C), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Colin de Grandhomme, Cam Fletcher, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Will Young

It is currently unknown whether Trent Boult will be available for the first Test after featuring in the final of the IPL which took place on Sunday 29 June 2022 with Gujarat Titans claiming the trophy.

It had been hoped that both Saqib Mahmood and Jofra Archer would be available to play in the Test match but both have been ruled out for the remainder of the season with injuries.