Kiwis plot England's downfall

While England sit and wait for the rains to abate in the Caribbean, their next opponents, New Zealand, are busy planning their strategy ahead of their three-Test tour, which begins next week. And in John Bracewell and Stephen Fleming, New Zealand have a coach and captain with all the necessary experience to pull off a repeat of their 2-1 series triumph in 1999.

Both men are used to the unique challenges of an early-English season. Until last summer, Bracewell was coach at Gloucestershire, while Fleming has enjoyed stints as an overseas player with Middlesex and Yorkshire. But since Bracewell joined the national set-up, Fleming's captaincy has developed a feistier streak - and that is probably no coincidence.

During his playing days, the fiercely patriotic Bracewell was always known as a hard man. He might have made his name as an All Black rugby player if the selectors had taken note of his performances, but New Zealand cricket is eternally grateful that they didn't. He is clearly finding Fleming to be a man he can do business with, and during the home series against South Africa, they applied a level of pressure on Graeme Smith and his men that caught them by surprise.

Nevertheless, it was South Africa who tied the Test series in the last match at Wellington, and New Zealand have had plenty to think about during their three-week break. At least they leave for England with a full-strength squad of 14 - a rarity in itself in this modern era. Such is the internal competition for places that Bracewell has already said there will be a disappointed batsman when each of the Test teams is announced.

Much depends on the speed with which Nathan Astle recovers his batting powers, after a lengthy lay-off and two knee operations. Should he regain the touch that enabled him to score a century and a fifty in the first Test of the Indian series last October, then he is sure to be recalled for his experience alone.

The man who stepped into Astle's shoes was Scott Styris, who rescued New Zealand from 12 for 2 with an outstanding innings of 170 in the second-Test victory over South Africa at Eden Park. He had earlier played a more defensive innings to recover the first Test on what became the "crater" Test at Westpac Park in Hamilton. But when he needed to perform another miracle in the all-important third Test, he was unable to produce. It is how he responds to that lesson that will be of most interest in his tour.

Craig McMillan enjoyed a superb series in India, although he was not quite so dominant at home, while the newcomer Michael Papps showed signs that he could be the answer to the opener's dilemma that has New Zealand since at least 1999. A quick learner at domestic level, he started with a bang in one-day cricket, but has yet to translate that form into the Test arena.

Chris Cairns has already signalled that this tour will be his farewell to Test cricket. It promises to be one of the highest-profile exits in New Zealand cricket since Richard Hadlee in 1990, and then, as now, it will require a passing-on of the allrounder's mantle. Jacob Oram could well be ready for the challenge. At 6ft 6ins, he is probably the tallest player ever to appear in a New Zealand side, but possesses outstanding agility in the field, great power in his hitting and - as would be expected for a player of his height - threatening bounce in his medium-fast bowling.

Blessed with the steadiest of nerve, Oram is very much a key player in New Zealand's future and this tour is a big one for him. With a Test century against South Africa, and 97 against Pakistan, he is a significant force in the lower-middle order. Already Cairns has hinted at great battles between Oram and Andrew Flintoff in the years to come.

New Zealand's attack will be led by Shane Bond, Daryl Tuffey and Chris Martin, with Oram, Cairns and Kyle Mills as back-up. If they can adapt quickly to English conditions that are not far removed from those that they face at home, the New Zealanders can expect to provide England with their toughest competition since their series with South Africa last summer.