NEW DELHI: England registered a massive 115-run win over New Zealand before lunch on the fourth day of the opening Test at Lord’s on Sunday, making an encouraging start to a new chapter under the much-discussed ‘buzzball’ philosophy after a disappointing Ashes campaign in Australia.Starting the day at 55 for 5 and needing another improbable 254 runs to secure victory, New Zealand’s resistance soon collapsed. The visitors lost their remaining five wickets during the opening session and were bowled out for 138.
Fast bowler Jos Atkinson starred for England with figures of 5 for 30 on a pitch that consistently favored the seamers. The surface at Lord’s proved very challenging for the batsmen, as 24 times were dismissed either by a ball or a lbw, while the spinners failed to bowl a single delivery throughout the match.Glenn Phillips remained unbeaten with 44 goals and was New Zealand’s top scorer, although it capped a difficult outing for the touring side.The series opener attracted huge attention as England looked to move on from a turbulent Ashes tour that ended in a 4-1 defeat to Australia amid criticism over preparation, tactics and off-field behaviour.Among the key selection calls for this final stretch under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes has been the inclusion of opener Emilio Gay and the recall of seamer Ollie Robinson, with both players repaying the confidence shown.
Guy produced a match-high score of 57 in the second innings on his Test debut, while Robinson played his first Test since 2024 after concerns over his fitness and attitude led to his omission, taking seven wickets in the game, returning figures of 5-39 and 2-38.Despite England’s dominant performance, the nature of the pitch made it difficult to draw wider conclusions. The match lasted just 166 overs, making it the second shortest completed Test out of the 150 Tests played at Lord’s.“It’s a terrain we didn’t expect,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said. “I don’t think anyone expected a surface like this.”McCullum acknowledged the difficulties presented by the wicket but praised his team’s ability to adapt to the conditions and execute their plans in what he described as a “low-scoring penalty shootout”.
“We were brave at times, and thoughtful at other times,” the New Zealand-born England coach said.The teams will now head across London for the second Test of the three-match series at The Oval, which begins on June 17.