New Zealand v England: Captain Ben Stokes on limits of what his team can achieve

Captains Ben Stokes and Tim Southee took portion successful a photoshoot connected Mount Maunganui formation connected Wednesday

Captain Ben Stokes says helium does not cognize the bounds of what England tin execute arsenic they look to transportation their stunning signifier into the two-Test bid successful New Zealand.

The archetypal Test against the Black Caps, a day-nighter successful Mount Maunganui, begins connected Thursday astatine 01:00 GMT.

"It's gone good and we'll effort to instrumentality the aforesaid things we person done," the all-rounder told BBC Sport.

"We'll look to entertain the radical who travel to ticker america and who are staying up precocious astatine home.

"I anticipation we tin spell retired determination with the aforesaid mindset and mentality we've had for the 10 Tests earlier this."

England's stellar signifier has included chasing 299 successful 50 overs connected the last time of the 2nd Test against New Zealand successful June, past successfully pursuing an English grounds 378 to bushed India astatine Edgbaston.

In the archetypal Test against Pakistan successful December, they piled up 506-4 connected the archetypal time successful Rawalpindi, mounting them connected the mode to a historical 3-0 bid win.

Asked however acold his squad tin propulsion their assertive style, Stokes said: "That's a bully question and an reply I can't give, due to the fact that I don't know. Who knows wherever this squad tin go?"

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England person recalled Stuart Broad to their XI aft the gait bowler missed the Pakistan circuit pursuing the commencement of his daughter, a determination Stokes called "very easy".

"There wasn't truly a 2nd thought picking the squad erstwhile Broady is around," said Stokes.

New Zealand volition manus a Test debut to gait bowler Blair Tickner, 29, aft Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry were ruled retired earlier successful the week.

There could besides beryllium a debut for 1 of Jacob Duffy oregon Scott Kuggeleijn, who joined up with the Blacks Caps squad connected Tuesday nighttime to supply pace-bowling cover.

The location broadside person resisted calling up Trent Boult, who is 4th connected their all-time database of Test wicket-takers but gave up his cardinal declaration past year.

The lucifer goes up contempt New Zealand being successful a authorities of exigency aft Cyclone Gabrielle deed the bluish portion of the country.

Mount Maunganui escaped the worst of the weather. The teams were capable to person nett sessions connected Monday and Tuesday, past practised successful agleam sunshine connected Wednesday.

"We've been fortunate determination was a structure implicit the nets, truthful were capable to train," said Stokes. "The cyclone hasn't helped preparation, but erstwhile you look what it's done determination are a batch much important things than getting a Test squad together."

England person not won a Test successful New Zealand since a 2-0 bid triumph successful 2008. They drew 0-0 successful 2013 past mislaid 1-0 successful some 2018 and 2019.

This bid is not portion of the World Test Championship, the last of which England cannot scope contempt their awesome form.

Stokes took implicit arsenic skipper pursuing a wretched tally successful which England won lone Test successful 17. Despite the turnaround successful results, and the mode successful which they person been achieved, the skipper does not judge his squad are playing nether the unit of expectation.

"I don't spell retired determination reasoning of sustaining that, but sustaining the mode that we play," said the 31-year-old. "If you play bully cricket that volition dictate the result.

"Regardless of however you effort to run successful a Test, if you don't play to the capabilities that you privation to you're astir apt not going to travel retired connected top."

England's gyration and the commencement of their swashbuckling benignant came astatine the opening of past summertime with a 3-0 bid triumph against New Zealand.

Since then, the Black Caps person mislaid not lone Boult but besides all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, who has retired from planetary successful cricket.

Kane Williamson stepped down arsenic Test skipper successful December and was replaced by Tim Southee, who is acceptable to pb successful a location lucifer for the archetypal time.

"It's a large situation to play against a broadside that's been playing immoderate large cricket," said Southee.

"I'm precise excited astir the adjacent mates of Test matches. It's ever thing to look guardant to, it's ever played successful bully spirits and the sides get connected precise well. It's a bid that the guys person been looking guardant to."