Day 1: England 140 all out (Brook 56; Jamieson 5-62) lead New Zealand 61-6 (Robinson 4-10) by 79 runs
LORD’S — What have England learned from their nightmare winter in Australia? Absolutely nothing on the evidence of this wildly-fluctuating, thrilling opening day of the Test summer that saw Ollie Robinson emerge from the shadows to grab centre stage.
For all the talk of a fresh start and a new era following their 4-1 Ashes drubbing, Ben Stokes’ team helped shape a contest that was as chaotic, maddening and remarkable as anything that has gone before during the Bazball era. Indeed, this was pure carnage.
Bazball was supposed to be dead after the humiliation of Australia. But this anarchic, adrenalin-fuelled start to the series against New Zealand provided the kind of drama that we have become accustomed to over the past four years under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
In the days leading up to this first Test, McCullum, who is lucky to still be in his job after the winter, spoke about the need for a “refinement” of England’s method and the team being “smarter”.
