The rivalry between the England cricket team and the New Zealand cricket team dates back to the 1930s and spans nearly a century of international cricket. While England dominated the early years, the fixture has evolved into one of the most competitive rivalries across Test, ODI, and T20 formats.
Format
Matches
England Wins
NZ Wins
Draw/Tie/NR
Test Series
115+
55
15
47
ODI
96
45
45
6
T20I
27+
16
10
1
Notable Matchups
1930 to 1970s: England’s Early Dominance
New Zealand played their first-ever Test match against England in 1930 at Lancaster Park, Christchurch. England won by eight wickets, but New Zealand showed resilience by drawing the remaining matches. England maintained control of the rivalry for nearly five decades. For the next 48 years, England would dominate the fixture.15th February 1978: The Breakthrough
After 48 long years, New Zealand found its breakthrough during the 1978 campaign and registered its first Test victory against England. England began their second innings on the final day chasing 137 runs for victory, but astonishingly were bowled out for just 64. Richard Hadlee was the standout for the Kiwis, taking 6 wickets for just 26 runs that dismantled England’s batting line-up. As a result, New Zealand won by 72 runs. The series ended in a 1-1 draw but marked a significant improvement over the previous decades.1980s to 1990s: The Hadlee Era and Series Success
Driven by the iconic Sir Richard Hadlee, New Zealand finally won their first Test Series against England during the 1984 campaign. Captained by Geoff Howarth, the New Zealand side secured a 1-0 series win in the three-match series. This landmark win marked a significant moment and signalled New Zealand’s arrival as a bigger presence in world cricket. A crushing performance at Christchurch followed, where New Zealand bowled England out for just 82 and 93 runs. Sir Richard Hadlee narrowly missed out on a century (out for 99), but dominated with the ball. England’s batting collapsed with just 82 runs, which remains one of their lowest in modern Test history.2015 to present: Modern Rivalry
The rivalry intensified during the 2015 World Cup, with England adopting a more aggressive and high-scoring “white ball” approach. This era began with England adopting New Zealand’s aggressive playing style, leading to some of the most iconic moments in cricket history. White-Ball History:- 2015 Transformation - Following a dismal World Cup, England hosted New Zealand in a landmark 2015 ODI series. Here, England hit their first-ever 400+ score in the first match at Edgbaston and won the series 3-2. This series win marked the start of the “Eion Morgan era”.
- 2019 World Cup Final - In what is regarded as one of the greatest sporting events ever, the final at Lord’s ended in a draw with 241 runs each. They then tied at Super Over, England were the eventual victors based on boundary countback.
- T20 World Cup 2021 - New Zealand came back with a vengeance and gained some form of revenge in the semi-finals. Daryl Mitchell’s 72 runs powered New Zealand to a 5-wicket victory to reach the Finals.
- T20 World Cup 2026 - England defeated New Zealand by 4 wickets in a tightly contested T20 World Cup group stage match.
- England dominated the recent Test series with a new hyper-aggressive style under coach and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.
- 2021 New Zealand's first Test Series win since 1999 - New Zealand won the series 1-0, shortly before winning the World Test Championship.
- 2022 England’s Domination - England chased 250+ in three successive matches. Jonny Bairstow hit a legendary 77-ball century at Trent Bridge.
- 2023 - New Zealand became only the fourth team to win after following on, beating England by just a single run in Wellington.
