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England start their 2023 Test programme by playing a two-Test series against New Zealand, starting in Mount Maunganui. Richard Spiller takes a look back at the ground’s short history

When England take the field at the Bay Oval, they will have two objectives in mind.

The first – and most important – will be to maintain the remarkable upsurge in performance and form which transformed the atmosphere of the national summer game last year. Having taken just one victory from 17 matches following a miserable winter’s work in Australia and West Indies, they suddenly turned on the afterburners to win six of the seven summer Tests and followed it with an unprecedented 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan just before Christmas.

Much credit belongs to skipper Ben Stokes and new head coach Brendon McCullum for that remarkable upsurge and both will feel at home, given the captain spent many of his early years growing up in New Zealand while the latter captained his country in a distinguished international career.

The Bay Oval’s Test debut came in November 2019, when England were the first visitors, and those of the side returning could be forgiven for memories being less than golden given they were beaten by an innings and 65 runs in Chris Silverwood’s first match as the new coach.

Having elected to bat first, England were given a promising platform by Surrey captain Rory Burns (52) and debutant Dominic Sibley – his past and future colleague at the Kia Oval – who made 22, Joe Denly hitting 74 and then Stokes cracking 91. The total was driven up to 353 – albeit a disappointment from 277-4 – by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (43) and Ollie Pope (39), pacemen Tim Southee (4-88) and Neil Wagner (3-90) doing most of the damage.

When the Kiwis slipped to 127-4 at the fall of captain Kane Williamson (51) – Sam Curran’s second victim – the tourists were in a strong position but then it started to go horribly wrong. Joe Root’s side were still in the game when Colin de Grandhomme departed for 65 at 316-6, having added 119 with BJ Watling. But his partner appeared to have taken more notice than the tourists of Root’s earlier declaration that occupation of the crease was of primary importance.

His 205 in 667 minutes, from 473 deliveries, was aided by all-rounder Mitchell Santner’s 126 as the pair added a mighty 261 for the seventh wicket – a Kiwi record against England – and their eventual 615-9dec was New Zealand’s highest score in Tests. Watling had become only the ninth designated wicketkeeper in the history of Test cricket to score a double ton.

Footsore England had been forced to bowl 201 overs, left-arm spinner Jack Leach’s 47 overs yielding 2-153 and pace spearhead Jofra Archer soldiering through 42 overs for 1-107, a stint some have blamed for him barely featuring since.

Could England save the game? The loss of Sibley, Burns and nightwatchman Leach left them 55-3 going into the final day and they soon sank to 138-8, Curran (29no) and Archer (30) only delaying the inevitable before they were bowled out for 197.

Since then there have been two more Tests, New Zealand again the winners when they beat Pakistan by 101 runs in a match which began on Boxing Day in 2020.

Yet it was the most recent match, starting on New Year’s Day 2022, which attracted most attention, Bangladesh springing one of the great surprises of Test history. New Zealand went into the match as World Test Champions, having beaten India in the inaugural final in England the previous year, and the strongest of favourites to win the match.

Williamson’s 122 led the hosts to 328 after being inserted but they found themselves trailing on first innings when Mahmadul Hasan Joy (78), Mominul Haque (88) and Litton Das’s 86 guided Bangladesh to 458. At 136-2 in the Kiwis’ second innings, there was still little cause for alarm. Seamer Ebadot Hussain castled opener Will Young for 69 to launch a magical spell which saw him remove Henry Nicholls and Tom Blundell for ducks and then bowl Ross Taylor for 40.

He finished with 6-46 to leave his side needing just 40 for victory, as task they achieved by eight wickets and leave both sides stunned.

The First Test between New Zealand and England gets underway 01:00am on Thursday 16th February at Bay Oval, Tauranga.