KEY POINTS:
Brendon McCullum will lead New Zealand from the front in two respects in this week's brace of Twenty20 internationals against England.
Not only will he open the batting at Eden Park tomorrow night - and presumably in Christchurch on Thursday - but he'll captain New Zealand for the
first time as well.
Regular captain Daniel Vettori will miss both games after rolling his right ankle last Friday during practice with Northern Districts. His prospects of being fit for the opening ODI against England, at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on Saturday, will be assessed closer to the time.
"It's a lot better today than yesterday but he's made a pretty good job of his ankle," New Zealand manager Lindsay Crocker said yesterday. "He's moving more freely and it's coming along."
In fact McCullum, who has played all New Zealand's 13 Twenty20 internationals dating back to the rousing night at Eden Park in 2005 when they donned the 1980s beige, floppy towelling hats, facial hair and, in one case, an Afro hair-do, will lead New Zealand in a third respect.
The 26-year-old's bracing, up and at'em approach is ideal for the shortest of the three international forms of cricket and he'll chivvy his players along in the field.
Offspinner Jeetan Patel joins the New Zealand squad, only half of whom practised at Eden Park yesterday. Jacob Oram, Ross Taylor, Mathew Sinclair, Jamie How and Tim Southee were contesting the domestic Twenty20 final in New Plymouth; Peter Fulton was playing England in Christchurch.
The indications are for a bumper crowd tomorrow night. As of Friday, over 18,000 tickets had been sold for a capacity of roughly 30,000.
"Pre-sales are better than for that Australia match which was an incredibly big crowd," New Zealand Cricket marketing manager Peter Dwan said yesterday. "There's been heaps of interest and we expect Monday and Tuesday will be big selling days."
England arrive in Auckland today after a couple of comfortable one-day workouts against Canterbury in Christchurch over the weekend.
England train at Eden Park from about 6pm today, starting around the time New Zealand finish, which might mean time for some amiable greetings before things get serious.
* TWENTY20 SIDE
New Zealand 12 v England, Eden Park, 7pm tomorrow: Brendon McCullum (c), Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Peter Fulton, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, Paul Hitchcock, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin.