New Zealand cricket team in England in 2004 meant that Marcus Trescothick was named as the stand-in captain and Andrew Strauss was called into the team to make his debut. After scoring 112 in the first innings, becoming only the fourth player to score a debut century at Lord's, and 83 in the second, Strauss was named the player of the match. The opening match of the series was also significant because it was the final match of former England captain Nasser Hussain's career, he made 103 not out in England's second innings and hit the winning runs. The players of the series were named as Steve Harmison
New Zealand cricket team in England in 1931 season, and this tour went ahead without Test matches before a decision was taken on whether New Zealand was ready for Test cricket. In the event, the 1927 side did well enough to get an official (though scarcely full-strength) MCC tour agreed for 1929-30, in which New Zealand's first-ever Tests were played. And future New Zealand tours of England, from this 1931 tour onwards, were full Test match tours. As in 1927, the team was captained by Tom Lowry, the former Cambridge University and Somerset batsman. Lowry also acted as the tour manager for much of the season until A.