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Former New Zealand spin bowler Stephen Boock hopes the Black Caps start to show they are a good test side against England, but he has his doubts.

Boock, a member of the first New Zealand team to beat England -- at the Basin Reserve in 1978 -- said New Zealand is a better one-day side than a test side.

``We've yet to prove our ability as a test nation with this team,'' said Boock, on the eve of the first test against England which starts at Edgbaston in Birmingham tonight.

``We have some very classy players in the team, but we have some huge roads to travel before we can say we are a team that can play the five-day game.''

Boock, who lives in Christchurch, hopes New Zealand beats England, but he cannot see it winning the series 4-0.

Sir Richard Hadlee said in an interview yesterday that he believes New Zealand could win the series 4-0.

The TAB has New Zealand at 150-1 to win by that margin.

``They might as well be at 1000-1 because the chances of them winning 4-0 are so slim,'' Boock said.

``I would be surprised if we immediately showed ourselves to be a superior team to England. At the moment we are both unknowns.

``I haven't got a clue whether England are any good or not. I know they've got a joker from Riccarton (Aftab Habib) I haven't heard of. Their team probably rates with ours.

``It could be an even fight. But I wouldn't get excited about us being a wonderful test-playing nation if we won against England. All it would show is that we are better than England.

``I don't think England is a force in international cricket at the moment.''

Boock said test matches are totally different to one-day games and ``our success recently has been in limited overs cricket''.

``I don't want to sound negative, but it's called limited overs cricket because it's a limited part of the game. ``It's the unlimited part that New Zealand has to perform in now.

``Sometimes you can win a limited overs game with a brilliant catch or piece of fielding, but in a test you have to do those things more than once.''

Boock said there were some individuals who could perform brilliantly for New Zealand.

``Fleming and Vettori are two. I think Vettori will demonstrate how good he is. The only thing I wonder about is whether he has had enough bowling.

``I expect Parore to do well and Nash to perform as a bowler. I think he is a test match bowler.''