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Moving day came early in the first cricket test between England and New Zealand, but the tourists are not counting themselves out despite a difficult closing stanza on the opening day.
The series opener at Lord’s started well for New Zealand, who dismissed England for 140. The Black Caps decided to bowl first on a wicket that turned out more helpful for the bowlers than expected.
However, after dismissing the home side cheaply, New Zealand then had to bat in probably the most difficult conditions of the day, and went to stumps at a perilous 61 for for six.
‘‘Moving day has shifted from three to one,’’ said Black Caps bowler Kyle Jamieson, who spearheaded the attack after Matt Henry went down with back spasms early in the day.
Jamieson was impressive in his first test in more than two years, finishing with five for 62 from 14 overs.
Harry Brook was the difference with the bat, his half-century — aided by dropped catches from the Black Caps when he was on 8 and 45 — saving England’s further blushes as he helped them to a total over a hundred.
Ollie Robinson then marked his return to England’s test side with a four-wicket haul, which included a devastating triple-wicket maiden in his opening over.
‘‘I can’t really put it into words, it feels a bit surreal. Couldn’t have dreamt it, to be honest. It’s just so good to be back,’’ Robinson told media.
Put in to bat first, England debutant Emilio Gay, who had earlier represented Italy in white-ball cricket, soon edged Jamieson to first slip for eight.
The rain forced players into an early lunch shortly after, with England at 24 for one.
When the match resumed, Nathan Smith trapped England’s other opener Ben Duckett (19) leg before wicket, and seven deliveries later Will O’Rourke condemned Jacob Bethell to a similar fate.
O’Rourke struck again in his next over as England’s talisman Joe Root crucially nicked behind after scoring just one.
Jamieson, returning after a long battle with recurring lower back stress fractures, then outwitted Jamie Smith with a good-length ball that Smith left, only to hear the death rattle as it jagged back off the deck into off stump.
England were at 55 for five with Harry Brook — dropped at backward point earlier by Devon Conway — trying to hold the other end. But Brook was waging a lonely battle, as captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson fell to Jamieson in quick succession.
Brook’s resistance also ended when he tried to hit Nathan Smith for six, but was caught by Jamieson, departing for 56.
Shoaib Bashir (14) and an unbeaten Josh Tongue added 22 runs for the last wicket — which given later context, now seem more important than they did at the time — to get England up to 140, a miserable start to the series.
But soon after New Zealand’s innings started, it became clear that the pitch, acting even less predictably after multiple bouts of rain, would be just as difficult for the visitors.
Robinson trapped opener Conway leg before wicket for one, and two balls later Kane Williamson was caught by Gay at short leg. In the very next delivery, Robinson dismissed Rachin Ravindra, leaving New Zealand reeling at 2 for three.
Daryl Mitchell (12) was the next to fall to Robinson, as much like Smith he shouldered arms to a ball that pitched around off stump and cut back to clip the off stump.
‘‘I was just trying to wobble it and hit a full length. This pitch reacts better when you try to wobble it,’’ Robinson said.
‘‘It was my day. Two of the decisions were umpire’s call, which sometimes doesn’t go your way.’’
New Zealand were in desperate straits at 29 for six, and the game was moving far too fast for Jamieson.
‘‘I was in the ice bath and I was thinking, jeez I’ve got to get out of this thing pretty quick, but thankfully I didn’t have to go out there and bat.’’
Jamieson was saved a hurried trip back out to the middle by Glenn Phillips (31 not out) and Nathan Smith (6 not out), who stabilised the innings with an unbeaten 32-run partnership, before poor light conditions forced umpires to end the day’s play after only 59 overs between the two teams.
With 16 wickets falling on the first day, the game is well advanced. What further part Henry might play was set to become clear on day two.
A team official said he received treatment throughout the day and they would know more when the second day arrived last night (NZT).
All eyes were set to be on Phillips — who played his shots during his innings, with six fours in 34 balls on day one — at the onset of day two to see if he could shepherd the Black Caps’ tail and take his side up towards first innings parity.
But shortly before the ODT went to print, such hopes were extinguished when play resumed on day 2 and Phillips was bowled by Tongue for 34 with just the sixth ball of the day.
An arriving Jamieson and Smith took their side to 82 before Smith (15) bafflingly left another Tongue delivery that smashed into middle and off.
If there was a positive to be found anywhere for New Zealand, it was that Henry appeared to be in his whites and prepared to bat. — RNZ / Reuters / Allied Media