Whatever dramas and controversies are floating around either England cricket or the world game - and at the moment there are plenty in both - there is something reassuring about the first Test of the English season. Whether Alastair Cook, Paul Farbrace and Andrew Strauss - captain, stand-in coach and new director of cricket - will be reassured come the end of the match is a moot point, but after all the off-field shenanigans at least the action moves back to the field.
And it is an intriguing contest between teams currently moving in opposite directions. The recent update of the Test rankings had England and New Zealand swapping places; the home side down to the fifth, the visitors up to third. However, New Zealand's rise is even more significant than that: a year ago they were seventh, which is the position England will occupy if they lose this series. Much has changed since the last meeting between the teams in 2013.
The current crop of England cricketers are trying to look to the future but are often handed the hospital pass of needing to bat away questions about Peter Moores' sacking, Kevin Pietersen's continued banishing or something Colin Graves may or may not have said. New Zealand, meanwhile, are still regularly asked about their uplifting World Cup campaign and the glow, albeit dampened somewhat by defeat in the final, remains as does an air of confidence around the squad.
Although this is a return to Test cricket they promise to retain the attacking brand of cricket instilled under Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson, led so strongly by the captain himself. It will be a challenge in early season English conditions, not least because a core of the Test side have arrived late from the IPL, but McCullum has always been clear: cricket is a game to enjoy and play to provide entertainment. The English public would love that to be shown by their team, too, although right now Cook would take a victory any which way.
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