England are targetting the first two One-Day Internationals of the National Bank Series with New Zealand as vital.

The series opens on Wednesday at Jade Stadium in Christchurch, formerly Lancaster Park, and the second game is at the WestpacTrust Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.

Hussain - first two games important Photo Reuters

Captain Nasser Hussain said he was aware that New Zealand had not finished well in Australia and while mindful of how New Zealand played earlier in the summer, he is expecting an even series between two sides of similar lineups, all the way down the order.

"Both sides will be sparring up against each other and I think the first two games will be very important," he said.

At the same time he acknowledged that England were well down on experience in ODIs as borne out by the fact that New Zealand had players like Chris Harris who has played 198 matches, Stephen Fleming who has 165, Chris Cairns 146 and Nathan Astle 145.

Hussain said he was pleased with the way England were gelling as a team. They were showing character but there was a lot more the side had to learn about one-day cricket.

It would be a slow progression but some parts of their game still needed a lot of improvement. Consistency of selection and fighting and showing character was how a team was brought together, he said.

Asked where he wanted to see improvements he said: "Our fielding, our intensity, our fighting in tight situations, our batting in the first 15, our bowling at the death, areas like that."

There would be times, possibly even in the New Zealand series, where the wheels would come off but the thing was not to over-react.

"You learn more from losses and wheels coming off than wins," he said.

"We don't play enough one-day cricket, it is only now we are getting experience," he said.

Bond - out through injury Photo Reuters

Hussain said he was "disappointed, but not too disappointed" that his side will not have to face up to New Zealand fast bowling sensation Shane Bond this summer.

Bond was forced out of the remainder of the New Zealand summer today when diagnosed with a suspected stress fracture in his left ankle.

His place in the CLEAR Black Caps for tomorrow's first One-Day International has been taken by Northern Districts rookie fast bowler Ian Butler.

Hussain was informed of Bond's injury at the start of a press conference soon after the England team arrived in Christchurch this afternoon.

"Obviously we have heard a lot about him and saw him in India where we got all that series and he looks a great prospect.

"Young fast bowlers bring vibrancy to the game and the New Zealand crowds want to see him on home soil," Hussain said.

The two warm-up games against Northern Districts had been good preparation for the side and Hussain said he had been delighted with the way everything had been laid on in Hamilton. The opposition had been very good.

"Coming from India will take us a little bit longer. The bounce on that wicket was more like Perth than Cuttack. We've come from England where the wickets do have a little more bounce so we've got no excuses there.

"We've got another full on nets session tomorrow, quite a few of our boys have toured out here before so we are as ready as we need to be."

The WestpacTrust Park wicket had been good and was as fast as anything he had played on.

"The last time was in Australia, even in England we don't get wickets with that pace now, they're all sort of dying a bit of a death. They're trying to re-lay a few of them.

"But that was a good cricket wicket and you can see that the cricketers New Zealand are producing, the better wickets you play on the better cricketers you get," he said.

Hussain said the laws which allow faster bowlers more opportunities to use a shorter ball each over, required different thinking on a ground-by-ground basis. On some grounds in India it had been vital to make good use of the first 15 overs because the balls went soft, the spinners came on later on and it was difficult to score.

Compared to the Australian series where scores of 60/2 were the New Zealand par in the first 15 overs.

"There might be times out here when it swings around and you have to keep wickets in hand. There might be times when it is very flat and New Zealand had good bowlers like Harris and we will have to get off to a flyer," he said.

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