SAM SETS THE PACE IN BATTLE FOR TEST SPOT

SAM CURRAN and Chris Woakes had an unexpected bowl-off in Whangarei as they battle for an England Test spot next week.

And on a flat surface against a young but confident New Zealand XI, it ended 1-0 to the 21-year-old Curran (right), who took one wicket to Woakes’ none.

Curran wasn’t supposed to be playing, but Saqib Mahmood suffered a migraine in the morning and stayed at the England team hotel.

Jofra Archer was the only bowler to take two scalps as the two-day game ended in a draw, with the hosts finishing on 285-5 in response to England’s 376-5 from DEAN WILSON in Whangarei

declared. But it was nothing more than a practice match and it did its job in putting overs into bowlers’ legs and giving batsmen time in the middle.

The question facing skipper

Joe Root ahead of the two-Test series is how best to pick a bowling unit to take 20 wickets.

With that in mind, Curran’s left-arm angle, adding variety to the three right-arm pace bowlers, should give him the nod.

England have been found wanting with a predictable seam attack away from home before, most notably in Australia and New Zealand two winters ago, and Curran offers something different. With Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Archer all nailed on to play, the battle between Woakes and Curran should be settled in the final warm-up, a proper first-class game against New Zealand A, starting tonight UK time. Woakes said: “If you’re realistic about it, me and Sam are going for one spot. We both played in the last Test match but that was because Stokesy couldn’t bowl, so I suppose there is one slot there.”