Preview: England vs. New Zealand - Second Test prediction, squads, start time, Oval pitch lowdown

England will be looking to put their off-field issues behind them when they face New Zealand at the Oval in the second Test of the series.

England are 1-0 up in the series after completing a 115-run victory on a poor Lord's pitch in the first Test last week, but they have subsequently suffered a series of setbacks.

Match preview

It appeared as though everything was starting to look up for England after their victory at Lord's, which alleviated some of the pressure on head coach Brendon McCullum, captain Ben Stokes and managing director Rob Key following a disastrous Ashes tour over the winter.

However, Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson were then involved in an incident at a nightclub in the early hours of the morning, which saw a member of England's security staff get hit by a Saracens rugby player.

England were under a strict midnight curfew due to a series of incidents during the winter and Stokes and Atkinson have been dropped for breaking it, pending an investigation into the whole incident.

Seamer Ollie Robinson has also been ruled out of the second Test with a sore right knee, meaning England have made a total of four changes for the team that won at Lord's.

Jofra Archer has been named in the XI after missing the first Test following his involvement at the IPL, while Jordan Cox is set to make his debut.

Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe was a late call-up, but he has not made the team with Sonny Baker and Matthew Fisher coming in for Robinson and Shoaib Bashir.

Joe Root will replace Stokes as captain, with vice-captain Harry Brook overlooked for the role.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will have to make at least one change after their all-time leading runscorer, Kane Williamson, announced his retirement with immediate effect.

The news came as a surprise given the series is ongoing, but Williamson said it had become clear to him that it was the "right time" to walk away.

"I've always felt a strong drive and hunger for international cricket, and I take pride in knowing I've given it my all in every match I've played for New Zealand," he said. "Continuing with anything less wouldn't be right and I feel fortunate to step away on my own terms."

Will Young has been added to the squad as Williamson's replacement and arrived in London on Sunday ahead of the Oval Test.

New Zealand are also hopeful that opener Devon Conway will be available after he flew home to Wellington to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

Seamer Matt Henry is also a doubt after he suffered from back spasms during the first Test, with captain Tom Latham stating that his fitness is a "day-by-day case".

Squad News

England have stuck with the same top six from Lord's, with Emilio Gay and Ben Duckett continuing as the new opening partnership.

Jacob Bethell will bat at three, followed by interim captain Root and vice-captain Brook, while wicketkeeper Jamie Smith continues at six despite the fact his partner is set to give birth to their second child.

McCullum stated that Cox was picked ahead of James Rew due to his "power and his rounded game", while spinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed was overlooked as a potential replacement for Stokes.

McCullum also hailed Baker, stating: "He's got good air speed, he swings the ball, he's got great skills, but he charges in and he's got wild celebrations and you can just see that cricket is what he wants to do."

New Zealand are likely to bring in Henry Nicholls for Williamson, while Young could replace Conway at the top of the order if he is unavailable.

The Kiwis are hopeful that Henry will be fit for the second Test, with Blair Tickner and Zak Foulkes primed as potential replacements.

Kyle Jamieson and Nathan Smith will be looking to continue their good form after they both picked up five-wicket hauls at Lord's and they are part of a fearsome seam attack.

Will O'Rourke only picked up 4-71 in the match, but he is a fearsome competitor, 6ft 8in and capable of regularly hitting speeds of 90mph+.

England squad:

Joe Root (captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox (wk), Henry Crocombe, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, James Rew (wk), Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue

New Zealand squad:

Tom Latham (c), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O'Rourke, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young

When will the first England vs New Zealand Test start?

The match is scheduled to get underway at 11:00am local time on Wednesday morning.

Oval pitch update

The Oval hosted the first Test match in England back in 1880 and has gone on to stage a total of 108, putting it fourth on the all-time list.

In recent years, the Oval has been something of a batting paradise, as illustrated by Dan Lawrence's exploits for Surrey in their draw with Hampshire last week.

Lawrence smashed 218 off 190 balls in the first innings and 101 off 64 balls in the second, while Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope, Delano Potgieter, Jake Lehmann, Nick Gubbins, and Ali Orr also made notable contributions with the bat.

Spin has also played less of a role at the Oval, with Surrey regularly going into games relying on all-rounders like Lawrence or Will Jacks instead of a specialist spinner.

It is also worth noting that England have lost their last two Tests at the venue, suffering a six-run defeat to India last year and an eight-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in 2024.

We say: England to win

Although the absences of Stokes, Atkinson and Robinson could have a major impact, England should still have enough to get the win.

New Zealand's batting was particularly poor last week, with only Conway and Glenn Phillips passing 18, and Williamson's retirement further compounds things.