Nick Compton was granted his chance after all to press his claims to continue as a Test match opener for England in the warm-up match against a New Zealand XI. Compton was named to open alongside Alastair Cook, with Joe Root still down at number six, in a team also notable for the absence of rested frontline pace pair James Anderson and Steven Finn. Graham Onions and Chris Woakes could therefore both put their name forward as a possible third seamer for the Test series, a position currently occupied by Stuart Broad. Compton, meanwhile, was set to have an immediate opportunity to prove his credentials after England lost the toss and were put in on a glorious morning at the Queenstown Events Centre ground. | 
