New Zealand hope for salvation against England in one day

Visitors eager to bounce back from setback in Tests to recover in time for the Champions Trophy

New Zealand will be banking on their experienced players, Ross Taylor, left, and Daniel Vettori, for redemption in the ODIs. Paul Gilham / Getty Images

LONDON // New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum hopes a change of format and the introduction of several new players will revive his side from the depths of a Test whitewash when they face England in a three-match, one-day series starting at Lord's today.

For both teams, this series will serve as a warm-up for the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales. McCullum would also like it to act as a pick-me-up for a squad that suffered a 247-run hammering by England in the second and final Test at Headingley on Tuesday.

Today's match will see the Kiwis return to Lord's, where they lost the first Test by the comparatively modest, yet still huge, margin of 170 runs after collapsing to 68 all out in their second innings.

They are set to take the field without left-arm seamer Trent Boult, a star performer when New Zealand faced England at home earlier this year, and who also impressed in England before aggravating a side strain at Headingley that left him doubtful for the Champions Trophy. Ian Butler is ready to stand in, should Boult be ruled out.

However, the inclusion of eight new players for the ODIs with England should bolster the Kiwis, who lost the corresponding three-match, one-day series in New Zealand 2-1 after winning an ODI series in South Africa for the first time in January.

"We've got eight new guys coming into the fold for the ODI series and Champions Trophy and they're quite experienced, some of those guys," McCullum said.

"One thing we have been able to do in recent times is move between the forms of the game and refocus, too. That's what this [situation] is going to require on a very short turnaround."

Former captain Daniel Vettori, who ruled himself unfit to play at Headingley because of concerns over an Achilles injury, James Franklin, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills and Grant Elliott will all add experience.

Mitchell McClenaghan is an aggressive fast bowler and Colin Munro, when in form, a hard-hitting middle-order batsman.

Meanwhile, Luke Ronchi is set to make his debut as an opener, after four years since playing four ODIs and three T20s for Australia.

It is even possible Ronchi might keep wicket rather than McCullum, who found himself behind the stumps at Headingley after BJ Watling was injured at Lord's, having given up keeping in Tests because of injury problems. "It's something we need to talk about in the next 24 hours before we start to nail down that one-day team, but it's definitely up for discussion.

"He [Ronchi] is definitely going to play as an opener."

England will now be under the guidance of one-day coach Ashley Giles, as team director Andy Flower takes a break to plot the defence of the Ashes against Australia ahead of the latest edition of Test cricket's oldest rivalry, which resumes at Nottingham's Trent Bridge ground in July.

Whereas the one-dayers and Champions Trophy represent New Zealand's best chance of success this tour for many within English cricket, where Test cricket still holds sway, they are something of an annoying interlude.

However, England have never won a major global 50-over tournament and captain Alastair Cook, whose 130 at Headingley augured well for the ODIs, insisted the side would not get ahead of themselves.

"There is a long time until the Ashes. A lot of things can change," Cook said. "A lot of important one-day cricket will be played."

Seam bowler Jade Dernbach has been drafted into the England squad to provide cover for Tim Bresnan, whose wife is due to give birth.

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