‘I’m trying to enjoy it’: Luke Wood relishing England opportunity against New Zealand

On Thursday Harry Brook described his team’s preparations for their last ODI series, against South Africa last month, as “a bit of a shambles”, and the same phrase could be used to describe many of their recent performances in the format – and for that matter a tour of New Zealand that has so far featured one completed T20 and two washouts.

England’s series against South Africa started less than 48 hours after the Hundred final, the squad assembling at Headingley much as a dripping tap might fill a bath: irritatingly slowly. “I don’t think we even got a training session in together,” Brook recalled. The team’s performance in the opening match was as shambolic as had been their assembly.

But the sporting truism is that you’re only as good as your last game and, in their most recent ODI, England scored 414 against the South Africans in Southampton, and won by 342. “We can take that game and if we play like that we’re going to be a very, very strong side,” Brook said. “Just take the momentum we got from that game into this series and we’ll be just fine.” With this in mind the team travelled from Auckland to Mount Maunganui, where they play the opening fixture against the Black Caps on Sunday, with an outlook as sunny as – mercifully – the weekend weather forecast.

Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Joe Root, who have formed England’s top order in all six games since their Champions Trophy campaign ended in group-stage elimination and Jos Buttler’s resignation as captain, arrived in Auckland on Wednesday and are ready to resume their positions. But the absence of Jofra Archer, whose delayed arrival in New Zealand means he will not make his first appearance until Wednesday’s second fixture in Hamilton, could open the door for Luke Wood to make what would be his first List A appearance in two years, his third of this decade and just the seventh of his career.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’ve played an ODI in … well, I’ve not played a heap,” Wood said. “It would be nice to continue playing and maybe try to find a similar role to the T20s. I don’t know what the team is going to be but hopefully I’ll keep my spot and get the ball rolling.”

After nearly two years out of the international side Wood, who is 30, has played nine of England’s 11 T20s since Harry Brook became white-ball captain, and is now seeking to further cement his place in the setup. “It was tough when I was out of it, and when the call came this summer it was probably a bit of a surprise,” he said. “I’m not necessarily the youngest player any more so part of me felt the chance had gone, but there’s always that glimmer of hope in the back of your mind. But I did think I was good enough to do it. I’ve tried to treat it differently to last time. Last time I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well, whereas this time I’m just trying to enjoy it.”

Harry Brook (left) and New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner shake hands after the abandoned T20 cricket international in Auckland. Photograph: Andrew Cornaga/AP

The other absentee from what appeared over the summer to be a settled first-choice side is Will Jacks, who broke a finger during the T20 series against South Africa and is still recovering, and focusing on being fit for the Ashes. Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed are the available replacements should England want to go into the series with their recent balance of three spin and three seam options.

As for New Zealand, since the end of the Champions Trophy – at which they reached the final, where they lost to India – and with attention very much shifted towards February’s T20 World Cup, ODIs have slipped back to their customary bottom place on the list of global cricketing priorities and the Black Caps have gone more than six months without attempting one.

But their recent record in the format – they were ranked No 2 in the world before Australia leapfrogged them with their victories over India this week – means its return will be welcomed, as will that of Kane Williamson, who for a variety of reasons has not played for New Zealand since the Champions Trophy final and missed the T20s with an unspecified “minor medical issue”.

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