Hurtling into a new era
It's the form of the game that has turned cricket upside down, and for England's players, it's become even more crucial than ever
Match facts
Friday June 13, 2008Start time 17.30 (16.30GMT)
Big Picture
It's the form of the game that has turned cricket upside down, and for England's players, it's become even more crucial than ever. Tonight's contest at Old Trafford is, to all intents and purposes, a first chance to audition for Allen Stanford's US$20 million showdown in Antigua in November. A strong individual performance here, in what is one of only two scheduled Twenty20 internationals for England this summer, will all but ink the player into the starting line-up. For New Zealand, the incentives are slightly less full-on, although revenge for the Test series defeat will undoubtedly spur them on. England beat them 2-0 in this format in New Zealand in February, and in fact they've lost their last six encounters, but since then six of their foremost stars have been toning their hard-hitting techniques in the Indian Premier League.Form guide
England WWLLLNew Zealand LLLLL
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Team news
Michael Vaughan might protest that he's still available for this form of the game, but his second-ball duck for Yorkshire last night confirmed he's a long way out of this particular picture. Instead Paul Collingwood takes over the reins for England, with the youngster Luke Wright stepping up to the opener's role. Dimitri Mascarenhas, England's sole IPL representative, returns to the lower-middle order, while Ravi Bopara - bristling for an opportunity after a brilliant double-hundred for Essex last week - is also set for a chance. Ryan Sidebottom is rested.Pitch and conditions
Old Trafford is arguably the fastest track in world cricket, and also provides good bounce and turn for the spinners. There will, however, be plenty for any batsman who chooses to hit through the line, so it probably won't just be Manchester's notorious weather that rains down on the crowd. Showers are forecast for the evening, but a full game is in prospect.Stats and Trivia
Quotes
"We don't really know how they're going to react because this is a first for all of us. We're going into the unknown."Collingwood on the repercussions of the Stanford deal.
John Bracewell, New Zealand's coach, believes his senior players will provide an insight into Twenty20 tactics, after their sojourn in India.
Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo