England depart on Saturday for their two month tour of New Zealand with their coach, Peter Moores, under pressure to reverse a recent run of poor results in Tests which has brought consecutive defeats against India and Sri Lanka

Cricinfo staff26-Jan-2008
Paul Collingwood talks during a press conference prior to England’s departure to New Zealand © Getty Images
England depart on Saturday for a two-month tour of New Zealand with their coach, Peter Moores, under pressure to reverse a recent run of poor results in Tests which has brought consecutive defeats against India and Sri Lanka. However, the first challenge is in the one-day format where England’s fortunes have taken a significant upturn during the last six months.Paul Collingwood, after an uncertain start to his captaincy tenure against West Indies, has presided over a 4-3 success against India and an even more impressive 3-2 victory in Sri Lanka and is a forming a promising team alongside Moores. The relationship appears to have settled more quickly than the Moores-Michael Vaughan axis in Tests.”I never saw myself having a honeymoon period as such because you are always under pressure to deliver when you are working with England,” Moores said. “To me, you work as hard as you can with the players at your disposal and you will be judged accordingly at the end of whatever time you’re given in the role.”To me the aim is always to try to build towards something that’s sustainable and that you can pass on to the next guy. Every time England plays is a challenge and we have to try to win, build momentum and keep moving forward.”On paper it’s the one-day side who have the tougher task on England’s second winter trip. New Zealand are in an even more uncertain phase than the visitors with doubts surrounding the future of Shane Bond. Despite this they remain a competitive one-day unit and on England’s last visit in 2001-02 took the series 3-2 in the final match.”New Zealand are a very competitive side who get stuck in and generally make the most of what they have,” added Moores. “On their own patch they can be pretty tough to play but if you didn’t expect to win there would be no point in playing and we expect to win both the one-day and Test series.”Although England’s one-day record is improving the team is still not entirely settled and two new faces are making this tour, James Tredwell, the Kent offspinning allrounder, and Tim Ambrose, the Warwickshire wicketkeeper. Tredwell replaces Monty Panesar who has been sent off to India to re-learn the art of flight and guile while Ambrose’s situation is an odd one.When he was named in both the one-day and Test squads, David Graveney – the now former chairman of selectors – said Ambrose was almost certain to start as the Test keeper, but will have to play second fiddle in the one-dayers to Phil Mustard who kept in all five ODIs against Sri Lanka. Graveney then added that if Mustard has an outstanding series he could stake his Test claims, so an unclear situation could be muddied further over the next month.The core of England’s team, though, remains the same and the quick bowlers – James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad – will enjoy the conditions in New Zealand. The batsmen, too, who struggled on the sluggish surfaces of Sri Lanka, should find opportunities to cash in more accessible.England arrive in New Zealand on Monday before two warm-up matches against Canterbury on February 2 and 3. The first Twenty20 international is in Auckland on February 5 with the first ODI is in Wellington on the 9th.