Strong NZ A team named

A host of fringe Black Caps will aim to impress in the New Zealand A team to meet England in a three-day tour match in Whangarei next week.

Jimmy Neesham, Tom Blundell, Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville and Tim Seifert have been named in the strong side to face a touring team featuring Jofra Archer, Ben Stokes and test captain Joe Root in the firstclass encounter starting at Cobham Oval on Friday.

Wellington Firebirds wicketkeeper-batsman Blundell will captain the New Zealand A side, which features nine players who have already represented New Zealand and promising 19-year-old Rachin Ravindra.

The Black Caps and England will play a two-test series, starting with the first test on November 21-25 at Mount Maunganui’s Bay Oval.

The England test squad will begin their red-ball preparation on Tuesday with a two-day warmup game against a New Zealand XI captained by Canterbury’s Leo Carter.

After initially being dropped for

Tom Blundell (captain), Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Hamish Rutherford, Tim Seifert, Will Somerville, Blair Tickner.

Joe Root (c), Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Dominic Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris& Woakes.

New Zealand A v England, November 15-17, Cobham Oval:

England test squad:

New Zealand XI v England, November 12-13, Cobham Oval:

Leo Carter (captain), Finn Allen, Jakob Bhula, Jack Boyle , Max Chu, Jake Gibson, Scott Johnston, Ben Lister, Ken McClure, Sandeep Patel, Henry Shipley, Theo van Woerkom.

the test series in New Zealand, wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow has been recalled to the England side as cover because of the ankle injury to Joe Denly.