VIDEO: New Zealand begin summer preparations at High Performance Centre in Lincoln

The New Zealand team were seen practicing at the all-weather training marquee at the High Performance Centre, setup by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) in Lincoln recently. The Black Caps, as they are popularly known, have started begun their training for what promises to be a gruelling summer ahead, starting with a three-Test series against Trans-Tasman rivals Australia in the latter’s den, followed by home series against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia. The likes of Jimmy Neesham, Matt Henry, etc. were among the many members of the side honing their skills in the various conditions in the facility.

New Zealand have had mixed luck following their heroic runners-up finish in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 under the captaincy of Brendon McCullum. During their tour of England, they managed to level the two-Test series with a 199-run win in the second Test. They however, went on to lose the One-Day International (ODI) series 2-3, as well as the one-off Twenty20 International (T20I).

Skipper McCullum opted out of the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa, along with several other key players. The Zimbabweans handed a rude seven-wicket shock to the Kiwis in the first ODI, though the latter managed to win the series by winning the next two one-dayers. Their luck did not improve in South Africa either, where they lost the ODI series 1-2 after levelling the 20-over series 1-1. Ross Taylor was forced to miss out on the South Africa committments due to a groin injury.