England skipper Cook in New Zealand sights

New Zealand have issued a long-range warning to England captain Alastair Cook that his wicket will be a top priority in their two-Test series.

Black Caps coach Mike Hesson batted away most of the provocative questions at a press conference in London ahead of the tourists' opening tour game against Somerset starting on Friday.

However, he couldn't help deliver a subtle mental jab at Cook, reminding the 30-year-old of his previous Test frailties against New Zealand.

Cook, whose captaincy has been under pressure for the last year because of England's poor results, has struggled with the bat against New Zealand.

His average from 11 innings is 37.63, nearly 10 runs below his career mark.

In the equivalent series two years ago, Cook fell cheaply to Trent Boult in both innings of the first Test at Lord's. Boult missed the second Test at Leeds with injury, when Cook scored a crucial 130.

Hesson backs the proven new-ball pair of Boult and Tim Southee to provide Cook with plenty of anxious moments.

"New ball bowling is important for us, the way Boult and Southee start sets the tone for the Test match," Hesson said.

"We've been able to have success against Alastair home and away, bar the Test at Leeds.

"I know Trent asks him some pretty tough questions with the angle and swing he creates so, hopefully, we can get it swinging over here and challenge him early on."

Hesson is unconcerned that Boult, Southee and fellow-seamer Matt Henry are in the midst of Indian Premier League campaigns two weeks out from the first Test at Lord's.

He says the trio have been supplied with the type of red balls that will be used for the England series and have been practising with them in India.

"We've become more used to the fact it's part of the landscape," Hesson said of his players' constant switching of conditions and formats.

Meanwhile, Hesson reckons New Zealand are considered England's "entree" ahead of the Ashes series and says it is up to his players to prove they have the stomach for a more serious billing in the future.

The tourists are still riding high on their superb run to the World Cup final, which included an eight-wicket thrashing of England in Wellington in group play.

Despite their rising status, world No.5 ranked New Zealand have only two matches to prove their worth in the Test arena against fourth-ranked England this month before captain Alastair Cook's side switch their attention to a five-match feast against Australia.

England hope to find form and answer a number of selection issues in their games against New Zealand at Lord's and Headingley, but Hesson believes his side can offer more than just a dress rehearsal in the future.

"Some of it has been because of performance, we've been down the pecking order in terms of our ranking," Hesson said.

"Often England have two tours and we normally get the early one and tend to be a bit of an entree to the Ashes.

"You have to earn the right for those longer series, you do that over a period of time and that's something we're looking to do."

New Zealand have won only eight Test matches against England, including four on English soil, but with Cook's side still struggling for cohesion on and off the field, there is a sense the time might be right for the Kiwis.

They enjoyed their best Test calendar year in 2014, winning five Tests.

"There's definitely expectation and that's something we probably haven't had a lot of," he said.

"We found that in the World Cup in that when we won a game but didn't win it well we got criticism when in the past we were happy with just winning.

"We've got more of a following at home and there's an expectation that we will perform well over here."

New Zealand begin their tour against Somerset on Friday before playing another four-day warm-up match against Worcestershire ahead of Tests at Lord's and Headingley.