New Zealand and England will compete for The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, honoring the legacies of the late Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe.
The trophy, made from wood sourced from a bat from each player, in collaboration with NZC, ECB and the families of each player, will be unveiled on Thursday morning in Christchurch ahead of the start of the three-match series. The trophy was designed by David Ngawati of Mahu Creative, who also designed the Tangiwai Shield for New Zealand's Test series with South Africa.
Both Crowe and Thorpe enjoyed hugely successful Test careers. Crowe, regarded as New Zealand's finest batter, averaged 45.36 with 17 centuries. Thorpe, who tragically passed in August, averaged 44.66 with 16 hundreds.
The bats gifted by the two families to create the trophy carry special meaning for these two sides. Crowe's was the Gunn and Moore with which he scored his century at Lord's 1994. Thorpe's Kookaburra was the one used for back-to-back hundreds against New Zealand in 1997.
Crowe and Thorpe went on to become mentors for latter generations, including members of both squad who will compete for this three-match series.
"It is absolutely an honour," said Joe Root, who worked closely with Thorpe during his time as a batting coach with the ECB. "What a great man. For me personally, to have someone who you watched growing up and took a lot from, then to get the opportunity to work with him as a coach. The amount he put into to my game, to have the opportunity to play for something with his name on it is really quite special and a nice way to remember his legacy and a player.
"It's a side that he had a lot of success against, a brilliant double hundred. He told us many times about that innings here in Christchurch [an unbeaten 200 in 2002], normally over a glass of sauvignon blanc.
"It's a really fitting way to remember two of England and New Zealand's great players. How both sides play represents how they played the game pretty well. I expect a really exciting series, like the previous one was. It will be a really fitting way to remember two brilliant players."
In a statement released on Tuesday, NZC CEO Scott Weenink added: "Today's generation of players are standing on the shoulders of those who went before them, players like Graham and Martin. It's good that we recognise this and respect their legacy. Both those players were seriously good batsmen who understood the game intimately - they commanded respect wherever they went."
ECB chief executive Richard Gould said: "Martin and Graham are two legends of the game, and it is fitting that Test series between our two men's sides will now be contested in their name.
"It's heart-breaking to have lost both men so early, but by honouring them in this way I hope we can help ensure the memories and legacies of two of our nations' finest cricketers live on long into the future."
The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy will be unveiled by Deb Crowe (Martin's sister) and former England Test captain Michael Atherton at the Hagley Oval ahead on the national anthems on Thursday.