ICC Champions Trophy 2017: England vs New Zealand, 5 players to watch out for

New Zealand, who would still be hurting from the abandonment against Australia, take on the mighty England at Cardiff in the second game of the tournament for both sides. England are the table toppers having beaten Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy opener last week.

While New Zealand were expected to pose a stiff challenge to the Aussies, they weren't expected to have their neighbours’ backs against the wall in the manner that they did. Despite rain playing spoilsport, they would take a lot of confidence from that performance.

England, on the other hand, are fighting complacency after making light work of a 300+ chase in the first game. They are strong in all departments and although Chris Woakes' tournament came to a premature end, they have enough firepower in bowling and batting to cover for him.

Extra Cover: England v New Zealand: Everything you need to know

It would be interesting to see how New Zealand deal with the power-packed England batsmen at Cardiff. Here are five players who could change the course of the match.

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#5 Martin Guptill

The dynamic New Zealand opener started his Champions Trophy with some exquisite flicks through the leg-side against Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Although he fell to the latter soon after, there is no doubt that a big one is due from Martin Guptill. He loves big games and has more often than not fired when the team need him.

Guptill will have Liam Plunkett, Ben Stokes, Jake Ball and Mark Wood steaming in at him but given that he loves pace on the ball, he should relish facing the England seamers. Guptill has a superb record against England including an unbeaten 189. Accompanied by Luke Ronchi at the top, Guptill can take his time to settle down before unleashing his shots.

Record against England

Matches - 12, Runs - 635, HS - 189*, Avg - 70.55

#4 Alex Hales

Hales is a critical member at the top of the England batting order

Much akin to Guptill, Hales is England's aggressor at the top. He and Joe Root have formed a superb pairing for England in recent times and bowling units have found it increasingly tough to break their partnership once they get going.

Hales started his tournament with a smart 94 against Bangladesh but would be ruing the fact that he missed out on a hundred. Hales’ strength lies in his ability to hit through the line on any track. He is comfortable against pace and can expect loads of that from the Kiwi quicks. With the ball expected to come on to the bat, Hales remains a big threat.

Record against New Zealand

Matches - 5, Runs - 165, HS - 67, Avg - 33.0

#3 Adam Milne

Adam Milne's disconcerting pace will be an added advantage for the Kiwis

The robust New Zealand seamer has been out of action for a long time since the 2015 World Cup. Having made a return to the national side, Milne has managed to impress his skipper and coach enough to earn a place ahead of Mitchell McClenaghan and Colin de Grandhomme in the starting XI.

He justified the faith of his coach when he bowled a probing spell against Australia in the first game. He got rid of Aaron Finch and Moises Henriques in a two over spell that went for just 9. His line, length and pace meant that the Aussies were left unnerved at the crease. Milne should be a handy addition against an aggressive English top order.

Record against England

Matches - 1, Wkts - 1, BBI - 1/25, Avg - 25.0

#2 Liam Plunkett

Plunkett will lead the England attack in the absence of Chris Woakes

England have lost the services of Chris Woakes in the Champions Trophy which makes Liam Plunkett the leader of the pace attack. The Durham quick has made rapid strides in the limited-overs side and has shown enough talent to lead the attack.

His bowling in the recently concluded series against the Proteas was inspiring, especially the manner in which he bounced out AB de Villiers. He has added a tricky cutter to his arsenal and is a handy new ball bowler as well as a decent death bowling option. Plunkett picked up four wickets in the tournament opener against Bangladesh and will be the most feared seamer on the day.

Record against New Zealand

Matches - 5, Wkts - 8, BBI - 4/54, Avg - 33.12

#1 Corey Anderson

Anderson will look to finish the Black Caps innings with a few lusty blows

Corey Anderson is back in New Zealand colours, and despite not taking up significant bowling duties, is a vital cog in the ODI setup. He is likely to come in below Ross Taylor and Neil Broom and will be the finisher and accelerator for the Black Caps.

Anderson's ability to swing through the line makes him a real threat in the end overs. He is capable of playing a long innings too which makes him a real floater in the batting line-up. Anderson's change of pace might also come in handy against the aggressive England batsmen.

Record against England

Matches - 2, Runs - 30, Avg - 30.00, Wkts - 0