Last Updated on 4 weeks by Charbel Coorey

ENG vs NZ 3rd Test Dream11 Prediction & Fan2Play Possible 11 Pitch Report | ENG vs NZ 3rd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | England vs New Zealand 3rd Test Key Players | Headingley Pitch Report

The Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era is well and truly upon us. A year after refusing to chase 273 in 75 overs against New Zealand, England produced one of their greatest ever run-chases to seal the series at Trent Bridge.

It is England’s mindset that is the big difference. The personnel is quite similar to that of 2021, but the belief to win, even after conceding a mammoth 553 in the first innings, is testament to the new approach. And now, on the ground where anything is possible ala 2019, who knows what we could be in store for here.

For the Black Caps, their inconsistent year has continued. Their shock loss to Bangladesh – who themselves have been horrendous in Tests since – was followed by a 1-1 draw at home to South Africa and now a series defeat in England. There doesn’t seem to be the same sense of punch or vigour about their play, but here is a chance to put things right after an extended break to dissect what went so wrong at Trent Bridge.

This Test may be a dead rubber in the context of this series, but there are still vital World Test Championship points to play for. Current champions New Zealand are at serious risk of missing out on the 2023 Final, while England will want to keep the momentum going. They will have to do so without James Anderson, but the confidence they are playing with suggests they can overcome any challenge. For New Zealand, they were far too inconsistent with the ball at Trent Bridge, and need to stick to their processes for longer periods of time here.

ENG vs NZ 3rd Test Possible Playing 11

Jamie Overton will come in for James Anderson, who will miss this Test due to ankle discomfort. England will persist with Zak Crawley.

England: 1. Alex Lees, 2. Zak Crawley, 3. Ollie Pope, 4. Joe Root, 5. Jonny Bairstow, 6. Ben Stokes (c), 7. Ben Foakes (wk), 8. Matthew Potts, 9. Jamie Overton, 10. Jack Leach, 11. Stuart Broad

Kane Williamson is set to return for New Zealand after missing the second Test with COVID-19. Neil Wagner is set to play in place of the injured Kyle Jamieson. Also, New Zealand may look to play a spinner.

New Zealand: 1. Tom Latham, 2. Will Young, 3. Kane Williamson (c), 4. Devon Conway, 5. Daryl Mitchell, 6. Henry Nicholls, 7. Tom Blundell (wk), 8. Tim Southee, 9. Neil Wagner, 10. Matt Henry/Ajaz Patel, 11. Trent Boult

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

England:

• Another match, another Joe Root classic. England’s second-highest run-scorer has now struck 10 Test centuries since the beginning of 2021, including two in this series.
• Root has a solid record at Headlingley, with 551 runs in eight Tests at an average of 42.38. This includes 121 vs India last year.
• Alex Lees has made eight consecutive 20+ scores since his second Test against West Indies. He looked in fine touch at Trent Bridge with 67 and 44.
• Ben Stokes returns to the ground he scored his memorable 138* at against Australia in 2019. He has 348 runs in four Tests at Headingley at an average of 58.00.
• Stokes has hit two half-centuries this series, including 75* to lead England home at Trent Bridge.
• Can Jonny Bairstow follow up his incredible Trent Bridge performance (136) with another? He has a century on this ground (vs Sri Lanka in 2016), with a total of 340 runs at 42.50.
• Stuart Broad has taken the most wickets of any bowler in Tests at Headingley (46). He averages 26.30 per wicket, with three five-wicket hauls in 19 innings.
• Eyes will be on Jamie Overton. The seamer, who can touch 90mph, took 3/34 and 2/56 in a First Class match for Surrey earlier this month.

New Zealand:

• Daryl Mitchell has had a series to remember. He is the leading run-scorer so far, with 373 runs and two centuries. His partner in crime, Tom Blundell, is third on the list with 240 runs.
• Will Kane Williamson produce his best in England? The Black Caps captain won’t have Anderson to deal with, which can work in his favour. He averages just 29.15 in seven Tests in England, so it’s a big game for him.
• Devon Conway, who made a double ton in England last year, scored 46 and 52 in the second Test. New Zealand need him to bat long.
• Trent Boult is the leading wicket-taker this series (12). The left-arm seamer has been brilliant even in challenging bowling conditions, as he took eight wickets in the Trent Bridge Test.
• Boult dismissed Crawley twice, Root twice and Bairstow twice in the second Test.
• New Zealand need Tim Southee to produce more. The experienced seamer has taken just five wickets at 72.60 this series.

Other Stats and Facts

• England won back-to-back Tests for the first time since early 2021 where they beat Sri Lanka twice and India at Chennai.
• England have not swept a series at home since 2013, where they won 2-0 vs New Zealand.
• Neil Wagner in Tests in England: 5 matches, 17 wickets, avg. 31.41, SR 64.2.
• Tim Southee is seven away from 350 Test wickets. Only Richard Hadlee (431) and Dan Vettori (362) have more for New Zealand.
• Matt Potts dismissed Kane Williamson twice in the Lord’s Test.

Headingley Leeds Pitch Report and Weather

The Headingley pitch is looking biege ahead of the Test. So, expect the captain who wins the toss to bat first. However, the average first innings score in the last five Tests on this ground is just 197.4, including 78 all-out by India last year.

There is rain forecast over the weekend. According to AccuWeather, there should be enough periods of sun to allow for a result.

ENG vs NZ 3rd Test Dream11 Prediction 23 June 2022

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base team:

• Wicket-keepers: Jonny Bairstow, Tom Blundell
• Batsmen: Joe Root, Devon Conway
• All-rounders: Ben Stokes, Daryl Mitchell
• Bowlers: Stuart Broad, Trent Boult

ENG vs NZ 3rd Test Match Prediction: Who will win?

The loss of James Anderson could prove to be a big blow for England. With that factor in mind, New Zealand’s batsmen could look forward to more runs again.

If New Zealand can make inroads into England’s top order, especially Root, they could look forward to a win.