New Zealand Looking to Use Lockie Ferguson to Fight ‘Fire With Fire’

While England come to New Zealand with a pace attack that includes a talismanic Jofra Archer, the hosts aren’t far behind and are hoping Lockie Ferguson can crank it up a bit.

Coach Gary Stead admitted there was a temptation to hand World Cup star Ferguson a Test debut to “fight fire with fire in some ways”.

“For us it’s about getting used to that extra pace, combating it and working out a way you can continue to score,” Stead said.



“It’s obviously a point of difference but we have got someone in our squad who bowls at a similar speed, who’s pretty quick, in Lockie Ferguson.”

“A potential debut for him at some stage to fight fire with fire in some ways.”

Stead has at his disposal the likes of Ferguson, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, and Matt Henry all of whom are competing for three spots.

“It’s really good in terms of the balance of the squad that we have five pace bowlers who all offer us slightly different things,” he said.

“Looking at conditions and I’m loathe to use the word rotation cause that’s not what we’re about at all, we’ll pick horses for courses of what we think is the right attack for any given surface and also that we have five tests in about a six-week period as well.”

Stead said omitting spinner Mitch Santner for an all-pace attack was unlikely because of the Bay Oval wicket’s reputation as one that wears quickly.