Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
England have wrapped up a 115-run victory over New Zealand before lunch on day four of the first Test at Lord’s, marking a positive start to their Bazball reset after their Ashes humiliation in Australia.
Resuming on 5-55 and needing 254 for an unlikely win, New Zealand lost their last five wickets inside the first two hours of play and were dismissed for 138.
England pacer Gus Atkinson finished with 5-30 on the bowler-friendly surface which saw 24 batters bowled or trapped lbw, and no spinners getting a single delivery.
It was fitting the match ended with the middle stump flattened after Atkinson clean-bowled Kiwi tail-ender Matt Henry.
That left Glenn Phillips stranded at the other end on 44 not out, making him New Zealand’s top scorer of a disappointing Test for the Black Caps.
This first Test series of the summer has been regarded as a fresh start for England and their under-pressure leadership after the 4-1 Ashes capitulation in Australia.
The headline selections early in this second iteration of “Bazball” under coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes were opener Emilio Gay and seam bowler Ollie Robinson ? and both delivered.
With a second-innings 57, Gay had the highest individual score from either team on his debut.
Robinson, recalled for the first time since 2024 when he was dropped over misgivings about his fitness and attitude, took seven wickets in total (5-39 and 2-38) ? three of them coming in his magical first over ? and was named man of the match.
What was already a tough position for New Zealand got even harder when Tom Blundell was trapped lbw by Josh Tongue in the seventh over of the day.
That left the tourists on 6-58 but a 53-run partnership between opener Devon Conway and Phillips gave them a fighting chance of a remarkable comeback.
Then Conway, surprised by the bounce of a delivery from Stokes, sent a leading edge to gully for the first of four dismissals in seven overs, ensuring New Zealand didn’t even make it to lunch.
It was the second shortest completed Test of the record 150 to take place at Lord’s.
“It’s a surface that we weren’t expecting,” captain tom Latham said. “I don’t think anybody expected a surface like that.”
“I think it’s important we don’t delve too much into this game. We understand we’ll go to The Oval and conditions will be a lot better than they have been here.”
Atkinson continued his love affair with the home of cricket, where he made his Test debut two years ago and took 12 wickets in a win over West Indies to get on the Lord’s storied honours boards.
Later that summer, he struck his maiden Test century ? against Sri Lanka ? at Lord’s, as well as getting another five-fer.
He was at it again on Sunday, removing New Zealand’s final three batters ? Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry ? for his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests. Four have been at Lord’s.
