Here are four cricket betting tips that Adam Drury thinks you should consider when England face New Zealand in the first Test, starting on Thursday.

New Zealand draw no bet

The captain and coach may have changed, but the personnel in England’s side is very similar to that which has won one of its last 17 Test matches.

New Zealand won 1-0 in England last summer, only being denied a victory in the other Test because of rain. Backing them with the insurance of money back if it’s a draw makes sense.

Highest opening partnership: New Zealand

England’s opening partnership of Alex Lees and Zak Crawley put on 12, 4 and 23 in three Tests against West Indies in March.

The hosts’ opening partnership in the first innings of the last five first Tests of the summer read: 4, 0, 8, 12, 14.

If that record continues this bet should land.

Joe Root to score over 36.5 first-innings runs

Root passed this mark in four of his six first innings last summer and scored centuries in two of the three Tests against West Indies in March.

England’s best batter is worth backing to pick up where he left off, even without the captaincy.

Tim Southee to be New Zealand’s top first-innings bowler

Southee took six wickets in the first innings at Lord’s last summer and is an obvious bet in this market again.

Trent Boult appears likely to miss the first Test and Southee will be running in at a wobbly England top order.

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