The first day of the reset was rescued by a Bazball outcast. Ollie Robinson spent two years as a maligned figure exiled in county cricket but delivered a pointed riposte to dig Brendon McCullum out of a hole.
Forget the froth about Robinson bowling quicker. That was just England’s cover story to bring him back and had they not been desperate after the Ashes he would have been nowhere near Lord’s. Of course he has not changed at 32. How many bowlers do that? This was the same old Robinson, running in and just about hitting 80mph, but pace matters less when you have his immaculate command of length in such bowler-friendly conditions.
His triple-wicket maiden lifted Lord’s, his name rang out around the ground as the crowd revelled in one of the most extraordinary comeback overs of all time. Robinson was pumped, his eyes popping and was reminiscent of Stuart Broad on a roll.
New Zealand, after ripping England out inside 40 overs for 140, were stunned. Six balls into Robinson’s comeback they were two for three and he was on a hat-trick.
A day that had fallen flat was upended; New Zealand lost three more and were 61 for six at the close, 79 behind, with Robinson boasting figures of four for 10. Proof it is never boring with this England team. A day cut short to 59 overs by the weather was captivating viewing.
The 150th Lord’s Test may well be one of the quickest of the lot as 16 wickets fell on day one and only two batsmen made 20. We had two, two-day Ashes Tests recently. Surely we are not set for another frantic two-day shoot-out. The pitch is slow, low and nipping, which combined with overcast skies and shaky batting, make it a possibility. It is going to take an extraordinary effort if conditions do not change for the engraver to add a name to the batting honours board. It is a different story for the bowlers, this is a paradise for a tall seamer.
Robinson’s fecklessness obscured the skill of a bowler with 76 Test wickets at an average of 22 in 20 games. He did not fit in with the McCullum vision and you did not have to ask too many questions around the traps to find someone connected with England who would plunge in the knife.
But by the end of day one McCullum was breathing a sigh of relief, thankful for Robinson, as were those who decided to keep the coach in his job. They must have been sweating as the reboot started with a whimper; the batsmen worked over by a bowling attack arguably stronger than the one they faced in Australia.
Whether it was to negate criticism, appease public opinion or just how the dice rolled on a tough day for batting, the Bazballers were timid.
That is what happens when you retain the same management whose message and philosophy have been picked apart on an Ashes tour. It inevitably leads to mixed messaging, and lack of confidence. Players do not want to be the ones blamed for the collapse with a poor shot.
In reality, they were bowled out by a disciplined New Zealand attack led by Kyle Jamieson’s five for 62. He exposed England’s batting for what it is – pretty thin when Joe Root does not come off – and on a personal note was some comeback after two years out. His pace has dropped, but he has added an outswinger to his armoury.
The four and five in the England order are the only truly world-class players and, while Root only managed one run, Harry Brook did top score with a half century. He was fortunate to be dropped twice in a streaky innings, but at least he tried to knock the New Zealanders off their lengths. Nobody else landed a glove on Jamieson, or the superb Will O’Rourke, whose spell after lunch triggered the collapse as England lost seven for 96 in the afternoon session, all without Matt Henry, who was off the field with a back spasm.
The majority of the batsmen can say they were bowled out, their wickets earned. Emilio Gay was off the mark on debut first ball, spanking a gift of a full toss for four, but was squared up and caught at slip off Jamieson for eight. Ben Duckett tried to apply himself before he was trapped on the crease by a nip-backer from Nathan Smith. Would the old Duckett have been bolder and more successful? This is the pickle England are in.
Of the top order, Jacob Bethell and Jamie Smith were the most guilty of poor decisions. Bethell played an awful IPL drive, missed and was leg before to O’Rourke for six. Root nibbled at one outside off that lifted more than he expected, a sign of rustiness possibly, while Smith had a brain fade and left Jamieson on length, only to have his off stump knocked over.
Brook was dropped on eight at gully, and 45 at deep square leg, both easy catches at this level. They were reckless shots, but Brook was counterpunching and as wickets fell in the final session, his innings grew in importance. He picked out deep fine leg for 56, which was not pretty, but at least he had given New Zealand something to think about.
The last stand of 22 between Shoaib Bashir and Josh Tongue was important and a positive sign. At least they did not hit one in the air straight away, and eked out some runs. It also gave the England management time to regroup. It was noticeable there was barely anyone on the balcony at that stage.
McCullum was much more animated than before. There were no shots on television of him sitting with his feet up. He was seen deep in conversation with Gay after his dismissal, and Smith too. He was on the walkie-talkie to Stokes and the fielders during the first drinks break with New Zealand five down.
The New Zealanders frustrate because they struggle away from home to bind both good batting and bowling performances together for long enough, despite their ability. This was a great chance, but Robinson floored them.
Devon Conway was unlucky with a leg-before decision, the ball judged to be clipping leg going down the slope to give Robinson his first. Williamson was caught at bat-pad two balls later and, next delivery, Rachin Ravindra was on his way, hit on the back leg as Robinson moved the ball in off the seam.
Gus Atkinson nipped out New Zealand captain Tom Latham, another leg-before hit halfway up the shin before Daryl Mitchell’s misjudgment, leaving Robinson on length only to be the second batsman bowled not playing a shot.
Glenn Phillips is a gutsy competitor and guided New Zealand to the close and, while this looks to be a short match, it will be a close, nailbiting one, too.
‘At Christmas, I thought I was never playing for England again’
Ollie Robinson feared his England career was over before ending a two-year exile with a fairy-tale comeback in which he picked up three wickets in his first over.
Robinson swung a dramatic first day back England’s way, starting with a triple-wicket maiden in an opening spell of 6-3-10-4. New Zealand reached stumps on 61 for six, trailing by 79.
“It’s really special,” an emotional Robinson said. “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.
“I had a lot of nerves yesterday, and this morning. To do that was really special. It was amazing to see everyone’s enjoyment when it was happening. I’ve been out the team for a couple of years and to have the full support of everyone, and them to be so happy, was just incredible.”
The Lord’s crowd chanted Robinson’s name during his extraordinary opening over.
“I was in a bit of a daze,” he said. “There was a point when I couldn’t really hear it, I was on cloud nine, my legs were numb, I couldn’t hear anything. I was trying to calm myself down and focus on the moment. After the second wicket, it’s probably the loudest I’ve ever heard on a cricket field.”
Despite an outstanding record, Robinson was dropped by England in 2024 because of concerns over his fitness and attitude, and these were his first Test wickets since the Lord’s Test of 2023, more than 1,000 days ago.
“Definitely,” he said, when asked if there were times he thought his Test career was over. “I didn’t really feel like I was going to get back in unless I smashed the door down with performances. Fortunately I have got back in. Baz [coach Brendon McCullum] and Stokesy [captain Ben Stokes] have given me every bit of backing they could possibly have given me. I’m grateful for that.
“There were obviously doubts. At Christmas, I thought I was never playing for England again, so to get back in and to have the support of everyone up there has been amazing.
“Stokesy texted me last week saying ‘great to have you back, but know the hard work is still to be done’. That is what is constantly in my head at the moment. There is a lot of hard work to be done. These days make it all worthwhile, it’s what you play for. it’s great to put the England shirt back on and be here.”
Earlier, New Zealand’s Kyle Jameson earned himself a place on the honours board with five for 62. Asked what the secret to his own success was, Jamieson said: “The secret lies in the thing we were bowling on. They were helpful conditions for us nasty fasties.”
Triple-wicket maiden analysed
Ollie Robinson, it had long been assumed, would never bowl for England again – and certainly not while Ben Stokes was captain. In his last Test, in Ranchi in February 2024, Robinson sustained a back spasm; England had already grown wary of his injury issues and history of losing pace over the course of a Test match.
But England’s ignominious Ashes defeat, following the failure to beat India last summer, has made the management eager to reincorporate Robinson into the side. His skill as a Test bowler, after all, has never been in doubt: his first 20 Tests brought 76 wickets at 22.92. With England lacking any of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes for the first time in 20 years, the need for Robinson’s accuracy and lateral movement was even greater.
First ball
Robinson’s first ball, from the Nursery End, distilled what England had been missing: a full delivery angled in from around the wicket. Amid all the chatter about Robinson’s speed, this ball was quick enough, too: 80.5 mph, a good 5mph more than he mustered at times during his last Test match.
Devon Conway was fortunate to get an inside edge, foreshadowing the trouble that awaited for New Zealand’s batsmen.
Second ball
Another probing delivery from Robinson, moving back to Conway, had the same result: a nervy inside edge on to the on side. Robinson’s movement with the new ball was enough to persuade Stokes to add a short leg.
Third ball
By now, Conway should have been braced for what to expect: a delivery cutting back into him off the pitch. His problem was that Robinson’s third ball moved too much and too sharply, beating his flick and hitting his front pad. Robinson’s desperate appeal was rewarded by the cherished sight of the umpire raising his index finger. Conway’s review found that the ball was judged to be umpire’s call – meaning that the on-field umpire’s verdict remained.
After an interminable 1,071 day wait, since dismissing Alex Carey on this same ground in the 2023 Ashes, Robinson finally had his 77th Test wicket.
Fourth ball
Lord’s has not always been Robinson’s friend: his Test debut against New Zealand in 2021 was ruined by historic messages resurfacing. But now, vast swathes of the crowd were cheering his name, delighting in his Test return. Kane Williamson was greeted by another full delivery. Expecting a delivery angling in, the ball instead held its line, narrowly evading Williamson’s outside edge.
Fifth ball
Robinson continued with his plan of attack, but now angled the ball in straighter, targeting Williamson’s front pad. But Williamson was unable to keep his bat face straight; the ball popped up to short leg, where Emilio Gay took a comfortable catch.
Sixth ball
Rachin Ravindra, touted as Williamson’s successor, walked out much earlier than he had envisaged. Robinson reverted to around the wicket against the left-hander. Just like Conway, Ravindra was defeated by a ball that moved more sharply than he had expected; at 81.6 mph this was the fastest ball of the over, too.
And finally, Ollie Robinson speaks to Sky Sports
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It was a pretty remarkable day. When we looked at the pitch this morning, we thought it would play a lot better than it did. They bowled really well and we knew we had to follow suit – to get them six-down at the end is a great effort from everyone.
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.
There were obviously doubts [whether he could ever get back into the team], yeah. At Christmas, I thought I was never playing for England again, so to get back in and to have the support of everyone up there has been amazing.
I was just trying to wobble it and hit a full length. This pitch reacts better when you try to wobble it; the swing seems to die in the wicket a little bit. It was my day – two of the decisions were umpire’s call, which sometimes doesn’t go your way.
[Given you took seven wickets on debut here from the Pavilion End why were you bowling at the Nursery End?] A guy called Gus Atkinson up there, he got 12-for last time. He had choice of ends. I’d have bowled wherever the skipper asked me.
[A five-for would be the icing on the cake tomorrow?] Yeah definitely: five-for, get them mopped up quickly and get the batting boots on.
Stumps: NZ 61/6, trail England by 79 runs
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Bad light stops play after a 16-wicket day of only 59 overs but plentiful drama.
The umpires are consulting
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They have the light meter out. And they do, indeed, call it a day.
OVER 19: NZ 61/6 (Phillips 31 Smith 6)
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Tongue continues for a sixth over and Smith takes a pair of twos of the first and the sixth balls, one through midwicket, the other through cover. All valuable runs in a low-scoring match. It’s getting quite gloomy out there now even with the lights.
OVER 18: NZ 57/6 (Phillips 31 Smith 2)
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Stokes is plugging away but has looked the least threatening of the four bowlers. Phillips opens the face to glide for two behind point and gets out the whip to whisk four off his pads, using the angle to rotate his wrists.
Catch up on Robinson’s opening over:
OVER 17: NZ 51/6 (Phillips 25 Smith 2)
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Smith plays a positive defensive, punching the ball in front of point for a single. Phillips manages to get on top of a ball that rears up on him off a good length and steers it to safety. Lord’s pitches have been dead for years. This one is refreshingly lively after a winter incorporating new techniques imported from Wimbledon, involving steaming the surface. But it is not consistent and the last thing Lord’s wants is a three-day match.
OVER 16: NZ 49/6 (Phillips 24 Smith 1)
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Sonny Baker, on as a sub, sprawls over the boundary after giving chase in vain to Phillips’ on drive. Two balls later Bashir does the same when trying to retrieve Phillips’ square drive at point. A pair of fours sandwich a misjudgement when he attempts to collar a slightly shorter one with a pull shot and bottom edges it painfully into his inner thigh.
Very well as New Zealand bowled, Kyle Jamieson took a couple of overs to settle into the right length - not surprisingly as he had not played Test cricket for a couple of years. England’s seamers have been spot on from ball one, and there are four of them, fit and firing. NZ need Matt Henry to recover from his back spasms tomorrow morning.
OVER 15: NZ 40/6 (Phillips 16 Smith 0)
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Phillips may try to replicate Brook’s innings by playing a few strokes and is fed by a couple of rare Tongue short ones. He pulls the first between backward square and midwicket for four and cuts the second, filleting point for another.
OVER 14: NZ 32/6 (Phillips 8 Smith 0)
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Stokes sends Robinson for a breather with figures of 6-3-10-4.
Phillips whisks his first ball through midwicket for two and then plays tip and run to cover for a single. Play can continue until 7.30pm given the two stoppages.
An intoxicating evening at Lord’s, as Josh Tongue gets in on the act. John Mitchell, the Red Roses head coach who is New Zealand’s Daryl’s dad, just popped up on the big screen. Plenty of other interesting spots today, including Michael McIntyre, who has been bobbing round the media centre.
OVER 13: NZ 29/6 (Phillips 5 Smith 0)
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Phillips digs out another Tongue yorker then plays a remarkable stroke, twisting his wrists like a speedway racer to flick a good length ball wide of mid-on for four.
Stokes is preparing to bowl and, after Tongue sends Blundell back to the hutch, will do so.
Wicket!
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Blundell b Tongue 4 Knocks off stump out of the ground. Blundell played down Piccadilly and a 90mph train rampaged down Bakerloo, smashing into off stumps. Trapped flat-footed on the crease. That’s Tongue’s 50th Test wicket. FOW 29/6
OVER 12: NZ 24/5 (Blundell 4 Phillips 1)
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Seems like Robinson has the ball on a string (and is sitting on a rainbow). Bounce, nip and an all but exemplary line. Phillips gets off the mark with a nurdle through mid-on and Blundell opens the face to play a Root-like dab down to third man for two runs.
So skilfully has Ollie Robinson bowled, in conditions ideal for him, that at 21-5 it’s worth remembering that the lowest ever Test total was by New Zealand against England: 26.
OVER 11: NZ 21/5 (Blundell 2 Phillips 0)
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The cheapest England have bowled the opposition out for in their first innings under Stokes and McCullum was South Africa at the Oval for 118 in 2022. Robinson took a five-for that day…
Tongue delivers a proper perfume ball to Blundell who jerks his head and hands out of the way and follows it with a brute of a 90mph yorker that the NZ keeper-batsman chisels out of the blockhole with admirable hand speed.
Just a run from the over, a no-ball penalty when Tongue knees the stumps in his delivery stride.
OVER 10: NZ 20/5 (Blundell 2 Phillips 0)
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Smart work by Gay at short leg when the over resumes. Mitchell is batting outside his crease and his momentum takes him forward as he defends. Gay picks up the ball on the bounce and shies at the stumps. I think Mitchell had scrambled back home but it only shows how England’s bowlers have upset their equilibrium.
And two balls later he shows the effects of a scrambled mind by leaving one that castled him.
Wicket!
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Mitchell b Robinson 12 Like Smith in the England innings, Mitchell left that on length, even moving his front pad out of the way, only for it to nibble back from outside off and crash into the off bail. Mitchell is livid with himself. FOW 20/5
OVER 9.3: NZ 20/4 (Mitchell 12 Blundell 2)
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Mitchell winds up to try to crack Robinson over cover and mistimes the stroke as it moved back into him, splintering the toe of his bat. He will need a new one, so the umpires call on the drinks.
OVER 9: NZ 20/4 (Mitchell 12 Blundell 2)
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A protest at being taken off? Atkinson hurls a throw over Smith’s head from extra cover and dents Tongue’s figures to the tune of a buzzer. Blundell, who has made four hundred partnerships with Mitchell gets off the mark by opening the face and steering two behind point.
Tongue ends the over with a beauty that whistles past off stump having beaten Blundell all ends up. That was only a gnat’s whisker away.
OVER 8: NZ 17/4 (Mitchell 11 Blundell 0)
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Robinson, who takes wickets with his bouncer (having the height to compensate for the relative lack of pace to make it effective) but it sits up nicely and Mitchell pulls it high and hard over square leg for four. That’s the first boundary of the innings.
Josh Tongue will replace Gus Atkinson.
OVER 7: NZ 12/4 (Mitchell 5 Blundell 0)
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The skittishness continues as Mitchell sends back Blundell in the nick of time and the new batsman just beats point’s throw. Fourteen wickets so far today. Hard to catch one’s breath.
Wicket!
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Latham lbw b Atkinson 3 Fabulous delivery to a left-hander in awful conditions for batting. It’s humid and gloomy and England’s opening bowlers, like their Kiwi counterparts are making the ball talk. This one darts in from round the wicket and hits him on the knee. Three-day Test? FOW 12/4
NZ review
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Latham lbw b Atkinson The captain reviewed immediately. No edge that I can see, though.
OVER 6: NZ 10/3 (Latham 3 Mitchell 5)
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It would and should have been four down as Mitchell plays tip and run to Stokes at point and Latham called him through. The captain wasn’t even in the picture when Stokes released his throw as he fell but the ball whistled past the stumps, only one of them in the fielder’s vision, and Latham ambled home in relief.
It has been the day for bowlers with high release points: Kyle Jamieson with his five wickets, and Will O’Rourke, and Ollie Robinson, all maximising the uneven bounce as well as the overhead conditions. Have England had a taller bowler? Probably David Larter and definitely another pace bowler Maurice Allom, who was 6’ 8” and took a hat trick against New Zealand in 1929-30.
OVER 5: NZ 8/3 (Latham 2 Mitchell 4)
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Atkinson at 89mph is almost 10mph quicker than Robinson but is also extracting some nip off the pitch. Mitchell uses his feet and opens the face to smear the ball trough point for two. Two balls later the ball jags in and thumps into the thighpad. Was he playing a shot? Should it be dead ball? No, he did shape to hit it and so the leg-bye is valid.
Has there been an opening like this in England since Fred Trueman on debut in 1952?
OVER 4: NZ 5/3 (Latham 2 Mitchell 2)
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The umpires go for their light meters before Robinson starts his over but common sense wins out over the killjoy impulse.
The hat-trick ball nips through outside off and Latham plays inside the line. The next ball jags back in, like the ones that did for Ravindra and Conway but via an inside edge.
Three slips, leg gully and a short leg. And leg gully almost gets a sniff when Latham tucks one off his hip about 2ft short of Stokes fielding there.
Quiet the figures for Robinson – 2-2-0-3.
OVER 3: NZ 5/3 (Latham 2 Mitchell 2)
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Mitchell pulls Atkinson for two through midwicket. Now for the hat-trick chance.
OVER 2: NZ 2/3 (Latham 1 Mitchell 0)
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Remarkable. I thought Steve Finn had the comeback of all comebacks at Edgbaston in 2015 when he took six for 79. But Robinson trumps that.
Who writes his scripts?
Wicket!
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Ravindra lbw b Robinson 0 Pinned him above the back knee roll. It’s umpire’s call again but who cares. Three wickets in his first over back! Amazing. And he’ll be on a hat-trick with his first ball of his second over. FOW 2/3
The most extraordinary comeback over ever. Robinson is saving the Bazball blushes and a man ignored for two years is having his name chanted by the Lord’s crowd. A bit of help from Rod Tucker with a couple of generous decisions but no question Robinson is a box office cricketer.
Wicket!
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Williamson c Gay b Robinson 0 What a comeback for the Sussex captain. This time he nipped one back into the right-hander who inside-edged it on to his pad and it ballooned up to Gay at short leg. The rarely seen short leg these days. Great bowling, great captaincy. FOW 2/2
It did pay to have a short leg! KW gone.
Wicket!
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Conway lbw b Robinson 1 Yes, umpire’s call. Robinson nipped it back from outside off and Conway had taken a big stride but it was still clipping leg. FOW 2/1
What a return for Ollie Robinson. Three balls is all he needs to take his first Test wicket for 1071 days: nipping the ball down the slope, and trapping Devon Conway lbw. There’s a little luck – Conway’s review showed the ball was just clipping, so was umpire’s call – but Robinson will think that he’s earned it.
NZ review
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Conway lbw b Robinson Umpire’s call on clipping leg. Seemed to be shaping down.
OVER 1: NZ 2/0 (Latham 1 Conway 1)
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The left-handed Latham is off the mark from the second ball, pushing it short of Gay at cover and catching the debutant on his heels. NZ, like England, have a double lefty opening partnership. Atkinson, therefore, stays round the wicket. Conway takes on a wider one and drives off a thickish edge past gully for a single.
Good consistent line and length from Atkinson. Robinson will share new-ball duties from the Nursery End. He now wears the No 1 on his back. The last to do so for England in any form of cricket was Nick Knight in ODIs 25 years ago.
Atkinson will open the bowling from the Pavilion End
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The sun’s out which is very good news for New Zealand as they start their innings.
On the occasion of the 150th Lord’s Test
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MCC honoured the England captains who have led a Test team at HQ.
Hope?
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This is England’s second lowest, first dig score since Ben Stokes became captain in 2022. The 110 at the MCG last Christmas was salvaged by bowling Australia out for 132 leaving a chase of only 175 which they knocked off for six-down
ENG 140 all out
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Smith replaces Jamieson and has the ball snaking around, the first down the legside that eludes Bashir and Blundell and scuttles away for two byes. The next starts on off and veers towards first slip. Bashir would have needed a step ladder. He pulls the next ball for two to record his highest Test score but succumbs to summit fever and is out next ball.
Wicket!
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Bashir c Williamson b Smith 14 Fenced at an outswinger and third slip takes it to his left. FOW 140 all out
OVER 39: ENG 136/9 (Tongue 10 Bashir 12)
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Tongue is hit on the ankle by O’Rourke’s inswinger but the ball was heading down the legside then ducks a pair of bouncers before snicking one into his thighpad as he threw the bat. A second successive maiden for O’Rourke.
OVER 38: ENG 136/9 (Tongue 10 Bashir 12)
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Shoaib Bashir, whose highest Test score is 13, moves into double figures with a clip off his toes through midwicket for two and then cuts handsomely for two more. Well, it would have been handsome had it not come off the toe. Variable bounce is causing havoc with connections and timing.
Not a good sign when a last wicket stand waxes after a collapse because it suggests that conditions are flattening out.
OVER 37: ENG 132/9 (Tongue 10 Bashir 8)
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Maiden for O’Rourke as Tongue defends and comicall ducks one that didn’t get up outside off.
OVER 36: ENG 132/9 (Tongue 10 Bashir 8)
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Bashir’s spell at Somerset earned him the sponsorship of Taunton’s Millichamp and Hall and he uses one of their bats to good effect, uppercutting Jamieson for four wide of the three slips and follows that with a cover drive for two.
These two have outscored four of England’s top six.
OVER 35: ENG 126/9 (Tongue 4 Bashir 2)
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Tongue drives tappily, more toe than meat, past the bowler for two. A couple of balls later he almost chips it straight back to O’Rourke in his followthrough but the big fast bowler can only take it on the half volley as he dives forward.
Tongue ends the over with a lovely shot off a gimme ball, short and sitting up nicely outside off. He leans back and punches it for four through cover.
Sorry for the typos. I’ll try that again:
A crumb of comfort? When England were bowled out for 110 at the MCG in 2025, for 67 at Headingley in 2019 and for 85 at Lord’s that same year against Ireland, they went on to win the match.
OVER 34: ENG 120/9 (Tongue 4 Bashir 2)
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Bashir gets off the mark with a flick off his hip for two.
A crumb of comfort? When England were bowled out for 110 at the MCG in 2025, for 67 at Headingley in 2019 and for 85 at Lord’s that same year against Ireland, they went on to win the match.
Jamieson has five for 52.
Wicket!
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Robinson c Blundell b Jamieson 1 Originally given not out by Rod Tucker, NZ reviewed it and ultra-edge showed a faint scrape of the toe as the ball nipped back from outside off stump and Robinson shaped to chop it. FOW 118/9
Play resumes
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There’s thick cloud above the ground and the lights are on. Kyle Jamieson will bowl to Ollie Robinson.
Restart imminent
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Restart will be at 4.51, in 15 minutes. A few more overs lost I suspect.
The covers are off
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And the umpires are inspecting the pitch. Have England any hope? Over to Stuart Broad:
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 4, 2026"Get a score that keeps us in the game" 💬
Stuart Broad urges England to reach 160 and a strong hour with the ball to get back in the game 🏏 pic.twitter.com/bbhi485c9Z
The rain comes
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And a squally shower crosses the ground jeopardising the proposed 4.11pm restart.
Proper rain now. MCC are in the clear for refunds, because we have had more than 30.1 overs…
Deep hole
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Off for bad light, so tea will be taken no doubt. They can try again in 20 minutes. England are 118 for eight. It’s not been kamikaze stuff – New Zealand have been brilliant and England have made little misjudgements. But they’re in a horrible position.
The covers are going on at tea. No great urgency from my former colleagues on the groundstaff, so whatever’s falling can’t be that heavy.
Bad light stops play
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England lost seven wickets in two hours and six minutes of play after lunch. They are in a deep hole that only their bowlers can help them escape. Jamieson, Smith and O’Rourke have been excellent, bowling England out. In the past, in these conditions against a hooping ball and fine bowlers, they would have gambled. Only Brook went all-in.
OVER 33: ENG 118/8 (Robinson 1 Tongue 4)
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Robinson gets off the mark by tickling O’Rourke’s overpitched delivery down to fine leg for a single. Tongue survives the rest by the seat of his pants and is relieved when bad light stops play.
A penny for the thoughts of McCullum behind those sunglasses and the middle distance stare. Is he thinking ‘we should have gone harder? But dare he ever say it? There has been a timidity to England today.
OVER 32: ENG 117/8 (Robinson 0 Tongue 4)
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Brook pulls the first ball of Smith’s over for four and flicks the fifth into Kyle Jamieson’s bucket hands.
Tongue gets off the mark with a streaky inside edge for four. New Zealand have bowled with real skill and spirit but dearie me…
The frustration for England is that Matt Henry is still off the field with his back issue. So New Zealand are down to three frontline bowlers; England might be all out before they can exploit that disadvantage.
Wicket!
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Brook c Jamieson b Smith 56 Loose ball swinging down the legside. Brook tries to flip it over long leg for six but it was so wide he didn’t get hold of it properly and plonked it down fine leg’s throat. FOW 113/8
OVER 31: ENG 108/7 (Brook 52 Robinson 0)
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Brook brings up the first fifty of England’s Test summer, but not without risk. Jamieson had beaten him with one that nipped away the ball before then went shorter outside off. Brook shaped to cut and went through with it when it bounced more than he had anticipated, slashing it wide of gully’s left hand for four.
Atkinson is put on strike by Brook’s midwicket flick for a single and he is out next ball, diddled by dramatic seam movement.
Wicket
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Atkinson lbw b Jamieson 4 Done by another nip-backer. He played all around it and was struck on the back knee. He sent it upstairs so quickly I assumed he must have nicked it but it was nowhere close to the bat and ball tracking showed it would smash back middle stump. FOW 108/7
OVER 30: ENG 102/6 (Brook 47 Atkinson 3)
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Brook is trapped in the stick or twist dilemma. Only a single for him though he shadowbats through some big shots between deliveries, settling for a push through cover for one. Atkinson adds a leg-bye off his hip.
OVER 29: ENG 100/6 (Brook 46 Atkinson 3)
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Brook is dropped again, this time at deep midwicket. Ravindra is three strides in from the rope, the pull stroke goes straight to him at waist height and he spills it. He seemed to jump at it instead of planting his feet. A proper sitter. Brook survives and jogs the single to bring up England’s hundred.
Two very simple lives for Harry Brook. Living dangerously.
OVER 28: ENG 99/6 (Brook 45 Atkinson 3)
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Atkinson, who, wrote he clutching at straws, has a Test century to his name and averages 20.6, gets off the mark by clipping Smith’s in-ducker off his toes for three. Brook does the same but for only a single.
No Ian Smith on co-comms yet but I believe he is coming over for the Women’s T20 World Cup. But on TMS we do have the wonderful Jeremy Coney.
OVER 27: ENG 94/6 (Brook 43 Atkinson 0)
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A scare for Stokes when sent back by Brook, skidding on the lush, adjacent pitch but managing to remain upright. He has had groin issues in the past and seems to be moving cautiously.
Brook drives through mid-on for two, pulls Jamieson’s short ball high over square leg for four then flicks a single through midwicket. Stokes pulls a short one for four then falls pushing at a defensive with angled bat and soft hands. He looks astounded that Williamson held on to that. A fine catch.
First day of the Smith-Stokes swap reaped 13 runs, hardly a surprise considering it is two out of form batsmen with few runs between them recently. Stokes was not really at fault for that, he had to play at the ball. England look very much like a mid-table (at best) Test side.
Wicket!
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Stokes c Williamson b Jamieson 12 A blinder at second slip, diving to his right and snaffling it a couple of inches above the ground, pinching it between thumb and forefinger of his right hand. FOW 94/6
Kane Williamson is arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever batsman, but I don’t have him down as an especially dynamic fielder. That was one hell of a catch, though.
OVER 26: ENG 83/5 (Brook 36 Stokes 8)
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Anything Brook can do… Stokes uses his feet to one angled across him and, with a flick of the wrist, tickles it behind square for four. He is starting to find the middle of the bat after his earlier toils.
OVER 25: ENG 79/5 (Brook 36 Stokes 4)
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Jamieson has three slips and a shortish backward point for Brook. After three dot balls, Brook dances down to the fast bowler and scuffs a drive, almost dragging it, through mid-on for four. The next ball is fuller and Brook plays a very handsome on-drive for four. Two balls in succession dispatched to the same point on the boundary with contrasting methods.
OVER 24: ENG 71/5 (Brook 28 Stokes 4)
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Brook gleans a spawny single with a French cut/Harrow drive that flashes off the inside edge past the stumops down to long leg for a single. Stokes is given something of a going over by Nathan Smith’s seam movement and swing but survives to make it to drinks.
OVER 23: ENG 70/5 (Brook 27 Stokes 4)
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Stokes’s timing is off so far but he manages to add two with a thick-edge cut through point when given some width. NZ are a bowler down but whether England can hang around long enough to make it count is very doubtful right now.
OVER 22: ENG 68/5 (Brook 27 Stokes 2)
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Having greeted Gay on debut with a juicy full toss to get off the mark, Jamieson coughs up another gift for Brook, a nice greasy half-volley that he creams for four. He has bowled some jaffas inbetween, mind.
The next ball is shorter and Brook tries to cart it on the pull through midwicket but sends it much straighter, over the bowler’s head in fact, bisecting mid-off and mid-on.
OVER 21: ENG 62/5 (Brook 21 Stokes 2)
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O’Rourke bangs a couple in to Brook who leaves them alone, refusing to hook anything above shoulder height. His third attempt at a short ball dies in the pitch and Brook prods it awkwardly to cover for a single. Stokes leaves the last couple, one angling down leg, the other swinging harmlessly towards slip.
OVER 20: ENG 61/5 (Brook 20 Stokes 2)
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Jamieson, who has played only three Tests in four years following surgery for his second stress fracture of the back and has taken 80 wickets at under 20, replaces Nathan Smith. And he is rewarded with his second wicket of the innings as England slump to 55 for five. Jamie Smith, beguiled by Jamieson’s 6ft 8in height, assumed a ball of that length would vault the stumps but it hit the seam in such a fashion that it nipped back in and left him, I’m afraid to say, looking daft.
Captain joins vice-captain and Stokes gets off the mark first ball by skelping a ball off his pads through square leg and haring back for two. There’s a problem with the seat covers next to the sightscreen which causes a delay of a couple of minutes. Jamieson resumes round the wicket to Stokes who plays late and chops it into the ground. It could easily have zipped back and knocked over his stumps but fortunately it span away.
The last ball of the over hoops wildly down leg and rattles away to the rope for four byes.
Horrible dismissal for Jamie Smith, arguably worse than the Labuschagne bouncer in Sydney because by then the series was gone and his head scrambled. This is the first innings of the summer and England have backed him by moving him to no 6, he should be fresh and bouncing with confidence. Instead we saw an awful, lame misjudgement leaving Jamieson on length on a day when the ball has kept low.
Wicket!
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Smith b Jamieson 1 Smith leaves it on length, the ball jags back up the hill and knocks back off-stump. Total and terrible misjudgement. FOW 55/5
OVER 19: ENG 55/4 (Brook 20 Smith 1)
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New Zealand continue to test Brook with the short ball. O’Rourke’s pace ought to be trickier for him than Smith but the pitch does not respond to the bowler, the ball sits up and Brook pulls it behind square for four. Brook/Foch: “Hard pressed on my right. My centre is yielding. Impossible to manoeuvre. Situation excellent. I am attacking.”
Nothing wrong with a controlled counterattack by Harry Brook - because that is his forte. The operative word is controlled.
Another good tactic by NZ in the meantime, and one neglected for too long by England : a short-leg. Especially at Lord’s when bowling is from the Pavilion End.
OVER 18: ENG 51/4 (Brook 16 Smith 1)
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Brook shows his class with a check-drive for two through mid-off and then climbs into Smith’s short ball and collars it on the pull, flogging it through midwicket for four. The next ball is fuller and delivered wobble-seam style. It ducks in late to hit Brook above the knee. NZ appeal but it looked way too high.
That’s a sitter, as they come, at backward point. Flashed hard from Brook with the Mound Stand beyond, but really should have been taken. The consolatory bum-patts for Devon Conway told that tale.
OVER 17: ENG 44/4 (Brook 9 Smith 1)
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Brook is dropped at backward point by Devon Conway after flashing hard at wide one. Three balls earlier Brook had hammered a square drive for four then had a tickle at two bowled across him by the impressive O’Rourke.
Conway’s hands were interlinked by the little fingers and ring fingers of each hand but it burst through the index and middle finger of the left hand as he dived to his right.
If Joe Root had been practising against very tall fast bowling - and Will O’Rourke is currently bowling like Pat Cummins - he would have played that fatal shot with a straight bat instead? Not opening the face…
Has England’s head coach prepared his charges properly?
OVER 16: ENG 38/4 (Brook 4 Smith 0)
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Brook, skittish at the start as he often is, uses his feet but gets nowhere near one that hoops down the legside then gets off the mark with a handsome drive through cover for four. He has a swish at Smith’s big outswinger and mercifully connects only with fresh air and does so again at the end of the over. This is very precarious.
OVER 15: ENG 34/4 (Brook 0 Smith 0)
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O’Rourke is producing 91mph deliveries, extracting genuine bounce and nipping the ball away. England look haunted. It’s not a reset they require so much as an exorcism.
We are only 15 overs into the Test summer but already in the thick of battle. How will England play this scenario? Go harder? Dig in? New Zealand are pitching it up and asking serious questions. Now Root has gone and Smith is in at 34 for four in his new role. It has been six months since the Ashes but the glum faces on the England balcony are the same.
He’ll never live it down
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One wag just messaged me saying “Brook welcomed by a New Zealand bouncer”. Very droll... All the way from Wellington to the Wellington Road.
Wicket!
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Root c Blundell b O’Rourke 1 That was a terrific delivery, back of a length, climbing towards shoulder height and nipping an inch or two away. Root, as is his habit, was trying to glide it down to third man and feathered it through to the keeper. Lord’s has fallen silent. FOW 34/4
OVER 14: ENG 34/3 (Root 1 Brook 0)
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Root gets off the mark with his favourite shot, the open-face dan down through third man for a single. Smith then proceeds to give Brook’s patience and technique an interrogation, burning a review when he goes up for leg-before on what seemed to be and turned out to be a very prominent inside-edge. Brook leaves a couple and then defends the last two, busy on his feet as usual. Excellent use of wobble seam by Smith is making the ball nibble back in. An English invention has come back to haunt them since November.
OVER 13: ENG 33/3 (Root 0 Brook 0)
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Looks to have been a good decision to bowl. There’s swing and seam movement, even for O’Rourke at 91mph. He greets Brook with a snorter of a bouncer that the batsman avoids with a rapid withdrawal of the neck. England are all at sea against a very good attack.
It’s not fair. NZ are pitching the new ball up. We (England) have not done that sort of thing for years.
Wicket!
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Bethell lbw b O’Rourke 4 Absolutely plumb, as Richie Benaud used to say. Hit him on the shin from round the wicket and would have hit middle and leg about two-thirds of the way up. FOW 33/3
Jacob Bethell’s bewildering first innings struggles continue. He now averages 8.71 in the first innings of his seven Tests, compared with 84.2 in the second innings. Now, how will Harry Brook play?
NZ review
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Bethell lbw b O’Rourke Given the ball was caught at slip, they can check for that, too. No bat. So now it’s just lbw.
OVER 12: ENG 31/2 (Bethell 4 Root 0)
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Nathan Smith errs on the short side and feeds Duckett’s blistering cut stroke. The left-hander carves it away for four but he is undone next ball with one that jags back a good six inches, surprising everyone. The bowler is cock-a-hoop.
Enter Joe Root to warm applause. More shape for Smith, this time from over the wicket. Root leaves the first and defends the last two, fussing over his bat, picking a splinter off it after the last stroke.
Matt Henry is still off the field with a back spasm. That’s a real headache for New Zealand on the first day of the Test - and, perhaps, an example of the dangers of preparing for a Test without any first-class cricket. While New Zealand had a Test in Belfast last week, they chose to play only Nathan Smith of their first-choice attack.
Wicket!
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Duckett lbw b Smith 19 Nipped back from round the wicket after the bowler found a fuller length. Duckett played around it and is hit above the left knee. Bethell came over to discuss a review but given Duckett’s stature, he decided not to bother. FOW 31/2
OVER 11: ENG 27/1 (Duckett 15 Bethell 4)
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New Zealand’s quickest bowler starts round the wicket to the left-handers and his first delivery angles in and, from back of a length, nips away from Duckett’s bat as he flinches, following the ball. A play and miss rather than the new leave of the new model Duckett. When O’Rourke goes fuller, Duckett eases into a drive, losing his bottom hand grip, and smearing it through cover for a well-run three.
Bethell also plays and misses at one that rears up from back of a length. O’Rourke’s height and pace is generating testing bounce. There’s a filthy cloud above the Mound Stand but there’s a window of blue above the pitch.
The players are back out
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Ben Duckett is on strike and Will O’Rourke will bowl his first over of the match.
Tea at 4.15pm
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Five overs have been lost to that rain. All being well, tea will be taken at 4.15, and then we can play until 7pm I’d think. I am not going to dare to predict if and when we will next get rain.
Restart at 1.45pm
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Nothing seems to stick to the schedule today. There has been a pitch inspection before the announced time of 1.30pm and it has passed the pitch and outfield fit to play on from 1.45pm.
Inspection at 1.30pm
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The sun is out at Lord’s. Not sufficiently to make the initial scheduled re-start at 1.25pm but it should be shortly afterwards if the rain stays away.
If you’re wondering what the groundstaff do
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This is great:
I was Lord’s groundsman for the India Test but couldn’t mow in a straight line
It is approaching 7pm on Friday, the second day of a tense third Test, and India’s coaches, led by Gautam Gambhir, are inspecting the Lord’s pitch. It is perhaps the most scrutinised 22 yards of turf in the whole world.
Just a couple of yards away, I am on all fours, laying, patting and bashing soil to level the footholds on the popping crease.
I am into the 13th hour of my first – and only – day working as part of the Lord’s ground staff. It has been a long and hot day, but a thrilling and fascinating one, too.
Before we pull the covers on, I am helping my new colleagues tidy up the pitch after two days of tough, attritional cricket and, after a lot of respectful watching, am finally getting my hands dirty.
The 30C weather means the pitch is dry, and a large trench has emerged where the batsmen mark their guard. The footholds, where the bowlers’ feet land, are deepening. There is enough dust to make your eyes water and to make you sneeze.
Good afternoon
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It has been a while – 147 days since the demise at Sydney to be precise. Looking above us in London, there are grounds for optimism for more play this afternoon. The risk of rain lessens from 95 per cent currently, according to the Met Office, to 50 per cent by 5pm. A handful of showers but spells of dry skies, too. So we should have intermittent play.
Here’s what the players are tucking into, not too heartily, one would think given the scheduled re-start at 1.25pm.
Half an hour away
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So long as the rain stays away, play should get back under way at 1.25pm. The forecast does look better for this afternoon so hopefully there is still plenty more play to come today.
I will hand you over to the very capable hands of Rob Bagchi, who will take you through the rest of the day’s play. Let’s hope for plenty more action!
Mopping up
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The groundstaff are out sweeping off the excess rain off the covers, which you would have to say is a positive sign for that possible 1.25pm restart.
We have news!
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Officials say an early lunch has been taken with a restart of 1.25, if there is no further rain. It is currently raining very lightly.
Michael Vaughan on BBC TMS
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“England are going to have to [play in a different way] if they want to be a team that consistently beats the better teams. If you look at the whole Bazball cycle, they have won some incredible games. You have got to remind people of the start England made in the Ashes series. It was a good start, that bowling on day one was as good I have seen in Australia from an England attack. There was not one person that was not thinking England are going to go 1-0 up. I do not think they have lost the fans, the England cricket fans are very loyal. How do they get them back on side? It is just winning.”
Weather set to improve?
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Still raining; fans are all huddled up under the covered seats or using their umbrellas. The forecast is better for later, but this will be an extended delay. Good news for those who want to buy tickets for Monday, though.
Bashir the right pick or not?
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As the rain comes down and rain is forecast at different points through the Test match, you wonder whether picking a frontline spinner was the right call or indeed necessary at all? England did not name their final XI a day ahead of the game as they normally do as they wanted to give themselves as much time before the toss. Shoaib Bashir was picked, with Sonny Baker the man to miss out. Ask yourself this question; how many overs is Bashir going to bowl in this game? He is not the best of fielders or strong with the bat so it all falls onto his bowling.
The schedule
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What are your views on none of the three Test matches in this series being north of Nottingham, with two being in London? Have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports
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“The ball has not flown through at Lord’s for quite some time. That is why are trying all these new things to get some firmness and carry into the surface. We have seen Joe Root stand at second slip with a helmet on, Steve Smith stand very close at first slip and break his finger.
“It is something this surface has lacked for a long time and it probably needs to be relayed but with so much cricket played here, when can you do that? Every cricketer; a batsman, a fast bowler, a spinner, wants to see bounce. The pitch has got no bounce. It is a very, very low Lord’s pitch, even by Lord’s standards.”
Any chance of money back?
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We’ve had 10 overs. The magic number for MCC is 30.1 - the threshold for no refunds.
The current sight at Lord’s
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You could not write it; a matter of days ago we had a heatwave yet the minute the Test summer starts it pours down.
Shielding from the rain
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More covers
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The groundstaff at Lord’s are taking no risks and putting plenty of covers on. The dark clouds have set in above Lord’s and we could be in for a lengthy delay.
Slight change of approach?
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Fascinating 45 minutes play before the rain. Duckett clearly playing a more circumspect style with 12 off 31 balls including three leaves to his first four balls. Perhaps he feels the weight of responsibility as senior opening partner now Gay has replaced Crawley. Gay unfurled two nice drives but was easily picked apart by Jamieson once he found his range from the Nursery End. Bethell playing himself in patiently. You wouldn’t have thought he had just returned from the IPL.
Rain stops play
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The weather has really set in and the heavens have now opened. The umpires consider whether to bring the players off and take the sensible decision to take them off. As the players run off, the rain comes down rather heavily. Plenty of umbrellas go up. Where has the heatwave gone?
England are 24/1 from 10 overs as play is halted.
OVER 10: ENG 24/1 (Duckett 12 Bethell 4)
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A rather large and dark cloud is now coming over the top of Lord’s and it is suddenly making it very gloomy. Tough batting conditions are being made even harder and it feels like rain could be imminent.
This is not easy for this England pair but they take three from Jamieson’s fifth over. Henry was more consistent than Jamieson in his first spell but it is the latter who has a wicket to his name; funny how cricket works!
That conversation Nick referenced is happening: McCullum and Gay having a good chat on the balcony, clearly all about batting, with Gay gesticulating in a manner befitting his Italian heritage.
OVER 9: ENG 21/1 (Duckett 11 Bethell 2)
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The first change for New Zealand has seen Nathan Smith replace Henry at the Pavilion End. Smith caused the Ireland batsmen all sorts of problems last week and you would imagine his bowling style will suit these conditions. He starts with a maiden.
OVER 8: ENG 21/1 (Duckett 11 Bethell 2)
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Duckett does not time it brilliantly through the covers of Jamieson but he comes back for two. The pitch is playing a little on the slow side so far. Jamieson is a mere 6ft 8in but there is not that much bounce on offer. There are some rather threatening clouds circling around Lord’s, with rain forecast not too far into the future.
OVER 7: ENG 19/1 (Duckett 9 Bethell 2)
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This is the 150th Test match at Lord’s, which is 32 games more than any other ground. The MCG is next, followed by the SCG, Oval and Old Trafford.
Henry has kept it tight, not giving away too many freebies. He has caused some issues to Duckett’s inside edge in particular.
No sign of Brendon McCullum on the balcony, I wonder if he has gone to have a chat with Emilio Gay after that innings ended in disappointment. McCullum is no technician, but he is a good man-manager. You hope Gay is not too downhearted. It was a good ball and part of the challenge is handling adversity.
OVER 6: ENG 18/1 (Duckett 8 Bethell 2)
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Jacob Bethell, another left-hander, joins Duckett in the middle. There is going to be a lot of intrigue around how Bethell goes, considering he has been at the IPL and not playing red-ball cricket. He is off the mark second ball with a couple through the covers.
Superb delivery from Kyle Jamieson: he struggled initially, but has swiftly adjusted to the slope. Emilio Gay, who is renowned as a poor starter at county level, is squared up and out for 8 on debut. Now time for only Jacob Bethell’s second Test in England.
Wicket
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Gay c Mitchell b Jamieson 8 New Zealand make the breakthrough and the debutant is gone. There is not much he can really do about that one; he is forced into playing it with the slope coming back into him and Jamieson finds the edge with a ball right into the corridor of uncertainty. Mitchell takes a good grab low down at first slip. Gay did not do too much wrong and sometimes you have to accept that a bowler might bowl a delivery like that at you. FOW 16/1
OVER 5: ENG 15/0 (Duckett 7 Gay 8)
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That is good running from Duckett; an inside edge runs down towards Jamieson at fine leg and Duckett is quick enough to get back for two.
Duckett then finishes the over with a single through square leg and this represents a solid start in tough batting conditions.
OVER 4: ENG 12/0 (Duckett 4 Gay 8)
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Gay started with a boundary of the first ball off Jamieson’s first over and starts this second over from Jamieson with another boundary. It is a glorious on-drive, one of the toughest shots in the game, and it goes running down the hill for four. That boundary along with his first will have settled some nerves.
Jamieson then follows that up with a beauty outside the off stump that nearly takes the edge of Gay’s bat.
OVER 3: ENG 8/0 (Duckett 4 Gay 4)
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Duckett is off the mark in some style. Henry gets too full and Duckett strikes it beautifully, drilling it through wide mid-off for four. Great balance and timing from Duckett.
It is quite strange to see Duckett leaving so many balls; is this where we might see an evolution of Bazball?
OVER 2: ENG 4/0 (Duckett 0 Gay 4)
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The very, very tall Kyle Jamieson will open from the Nursery End, with the slope coming back into Gay. How will the Durham man’s nerves be right now?
Exactly the first ball in Test cricket he was after; a juicy full toss well outside off stump and Gay says thank you very much, drilling it through point for his first runs in Test cricket and the first runs of the Test summer. Five dot balls then follow but a number of those did not really challenge Gay, maybe one that squared him up a touch.
You could not dream of a gentler first ball in Test cricket. Emilio Gay strokes a full toss through backward point for four. What a relief that will be.
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 4, 2026"That's a gift, and a gift you take gladly!" 😁
Emilio Gay gets off the mark with a four from the first delivery he faces 🏏 pic.twitter.com/nh3iBJNADK
OVER 1: ENG 0/0 (Duckett 0 Gay 0)
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Matt Henry will send down the first over of the match from the Pavilion End and, surprisingly, Ben Duckett leaves it! When does Duckett ever leave the ball. Slightly concerning is that the ball did not bounce much and takes a bounce on its way through to Blundell behind the stumps. Duckett then leaves his next ball before feeling at one outside his off stump. He needs to be careful in that area. He was never going to leave three balls on the trot!
Henry sends down three more dots so it is a maiden to start. Now over to Gay.
Three (3) Ben Duckett leaves in the first over of a Test match. This really is a new era.
Ready for action
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Emilio Gay, on debut, and Ben Duckett stride to the middle. This will not be easy, in these conditions and against this New Zealand bowling attack, which has plenty of pace and height. There will definitely be some nerves for Gay at the moment but he did look pretty relaxed singing the national anthem. Plenty of high-fives for Gay from his teammates.
Emilio Gay becomes the 95th Northants player to play Test cricket, not bad for a small county that lacks the money and facilities of the bigger Test grounds. A reason to keep the 18 county system.
The overheads look better for batting now than when New Zealand won the toss. But with New Zealand’s four-pronged pace attack, bowling first made a lot of sense.
Anthem time
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Both sides make their way through the Long Room and then down the steps onto the outfield for the national anthems. Before that, Lord’s pauses to remember those who have died since England’s last home Test at the end of the summer of 2025, which includes Robin Smith and MJK Smith. A tribute is also paid to former New Zealand opener Martin Crowe, who died 10 years ago and now has a painting in the pavilion. His daughter Emma rings the five-minute bell.
The sun is now out at Lord’s.
Brace yourself: lots of pomp and pageantry incoming around the 150th Lord’s Test.
Is it coming or going?
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The hover cover had come onto the pitch briefly due to a shower but it is back off now. It may be one of those days when the rain comes and goes, which may suit New Zealand, who are bowling first.
Bashir plays
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The now Derbyshire spinner found himself out of the side down under over the winter but he is now back into the team. It will be interesting to see how much he bowls considering the forecast over the next five days.
Gay right into the thick of it
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That New Zealand attack will provide a fearsome test for England’s new-look, very left-handed top order. All eyes on Emilio Gay. He will never have experienced anything like this today. Was presented his cap by Alastair Cook, another leftie opener who was a product of Bedford School. Ben Stokes has joked that that was the best he’s ever heard Cook speak in public. Dare I say it, but if Gay does even 25% as well as Cook, he will have a very fine career. Stokes adds that England would definitely have bowled first, too.
Teams in full
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England: Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (captain), Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke.
No Baker
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England gave themselves as long as possible to make a decision on their final XI and it will be Sonny Baker who misses out, with spinner Shoaib Bashir taking his place in the team.
New Zealand win the toss
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Unsurprisingly, Tom Latham decides to bowl first. That means England debutant Emilio Gay will be right into the action immediately.
Time for the toss
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Despite worries with the weather, the toss will be done on time at 10.30 on the dot. Which way will it go?
Focus on Jamie Smith and Sarah Taylor
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Nick mentioned this in his piece overnight, but an observation from England training this week. Sarah Taylor, the fielding and wicketkeeping coach, has been very hands-on with Jamie Smith. I felt a bit sorry for Smith in Australia. He’s an inexperienced cricketer and has basically been expected to fend for himself without any technical support for his keeping or batting. Taylor has been working closely with him this week. Great to see.
Good toss to win or lose?
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With the conditions at Lord’s today, it does feel like a day to win the toss and bowl. But perhaps, with the weather being a little hit or miss, it might be a good toss to lose. England have one decision to make with their team; is it Sonny Baker or Shoaib Bashir?
Debut for Emilio Gay
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The Durham man has been in fine form so far this season and already has a hundred at Lord’s this season. He bats at number three for his county but will open the batting alongside Ben Duckett for England. If England are put into bat this morning, it will not be easy in these conditions and against this New Zealand attack.
Stuart Broad on Sky Sports
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— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 4, 2026🗣️ "I'm really happy the ECB have decided to stay with Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes"
Stuart Broad shares his thoughts on the highs and lows of Bazball 💭 pic.twitter.com/lGVFvO8KGh
Captain drops down to seven
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Ben Stokes has revealed that he will bat at number seven in this series, with wicketkeeper Jamie Smith being promoted a spot up to six. He did not have a good series with the bat down under during the winter but you could say that about most England batsmen. Does he see himself as more of a bowling all-rounder at this stage of his career or does his ability to bat with the tail play a part in that decision?
Ben Stokes on the return of Ollie Robinson
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“For him, the easy part was getting back in, because he’s always been that good. Now he’s here, it’s about staying here for as long as he can.
“Skill-wise, I hope he’s the same bowler because he’s bloody good. That’s unquestionable. We’ve spoken to Ollie and he knows the reason he’s found himself back here is because he’s done what we’ve wanted from him. When he is operating at that level, he is world class. The Tests he’s played, his numbers are up there with the very best.
“The time away from the team, as frustrating as it probably was for him, hopefully we see Ollie Robinson in an England shirt for the next four, five, six years, because he’s a very good bowler.”
Debut for Gay but not Baker?
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Gus Atkinson is marking out his run up so he is playing as the last seamer ahead of Sonny Baker. Emilio Gay has just shadow batted at the crease. Quite a day for him. Doubt he has played in front of 28,000 before, let alone under the glare of the TV cameras. Alastair Cook is about to present him with his cap - both left-handed openers and former Bedford School pupils.
Sir Geoffrey Boycott: Jacob Bethell has piled pressure on himself by going to IPL
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Kevin Pietersen made a good point when he said Jacob Bethell would learn more from staying at the IPL, watching, talking and practising with some of the best players in the world instead of playing County Championship cricket in England.
But for weeks on end, in the nets and in matches, he has spent his time whacking boundaries off every ball. In his head, he will have been trying outrageous strokes to good balls and that can easily become ingrained. Changing from a format that demands boundaries like a baseball batter trying to hit a home run every time to a Test series against New Zealand without any warm-up matches will be challenging.
In the early days of the IPL, when Kevin was playing for England, I understood our cricketers wanting to play there because the money was mind-blowing.
Now our England players are on huge contracts with the top guys getting close to £1m a year, so supporters are entitled to expect top-quality performances from our players. So far as a team they have not delivered against the top two of India and Australia. There is extra pressure on Jacob to prove he made the correct decision for him and England.
Ben Stokes on the absence of Jofra Archer
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“I know it has been spoken about the last couple of weeks about that situation. I totally understand people’s frustrations around the situation but there is also another side to it. A lot of it has got to do with the landscape of cricket and where it is at the moment. I think a lot of the points people have been making about Jofra in that situation are to do with the landscape when they were playing. It is completely different now. There is opportunity for cricketers now that there was not 10 or 20 years ago.
“In an ideal situation, it would be unbelievably great to have everyone available at every single opportunity but that is not the way of cricket at the moment. I get both sides of the story. You want players to take those opportunities and I want players to play for England. There is a situation in which it could get messy and players like Jofra might not play for England again if you handle it in a different way, and that is not good for anyone. Jofra has shown he is committed and loves playing for England. Just because he is not available for this first Test match does not change that.”
What are your views on Jofra Archer not being available for this Test and potentially the second as well? Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
Prediction from Scyld
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Greetings to everyone at the start of a new Test summer (omg my 50th in the job). I’m going to stick neck out at this early stage and predict that England, when they bat, are not going to make a very strong start, for three reasons:
1. New Zealand have a very fine pace attack
2. Emilio Gay is a nervous starter from what I saw when he batted for Durham against Gloucestershire at Bristol earlier this season when he was being talked up. He looked nervous even when he walked to the wicket and was lucky to score as many as five. A contrast to the calm, and visible enjoyment, of Ben McKinney at the other end (who made a double hundred).
3. Jacob Bethell so far has made his Test runs in the second innings, as if he takes time to work out conditions, which he then applies brilliantly second time round. He has yet to reach 20 in the first innings of his six Tests. And having spent this spring in the IPL he will need time to adjust to the red ball (and may I add: how beneficial it would have been if Bethell had been bowling his left-arm spin as well as batting for Warwickshire). Given Bethell and Joe Root bowling, there would be home Tests when England need not play a specialist spinner.
Ben Stokes’ 35th birthday
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The England captain has plenty of highlights to savour during his career, including a few special knocks at Lord’s:
Jubilee Line running smoothly!
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A nice position for Team Telegraph to find ourselves in. The cricket can provide no greater shock than the one we’ve already received: as he says, Tim was here first! Remarkable.
Tube strikes in London today, but the Jubilee Line was a) running smoothly and b) very quiet. A few members in early for the 150th Test at this great ground. The Allen Stand is mid-build, a reminder of the way the ground has changed over the years.
Palpable anticipation
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Good morning from Lord’s. I was in bright and early this morning (not always a regular occurrence, I’ll admit); the anticipation ahead of a new Test summer was palpable on the gates. Even at 7am, some Lord’s members were already queuing up, ready to be reunited with their favourite seats. The forecast for today has been uncertain all week, but now seems much better - we should get most, or even all, of a full day’s play.
How will Stokes’ men bounce back from horror series down under?
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England’s international summer begins at the Home of Cricket as they host New Zealand at Lord’s in the first Test of the series. It has been a long six months since the embarrassment of the Ashes down under, which was a mess both on the pitch and off it (let’s not mention Noosa ever again!). However, that dismal tour has not led to any changes at the captain, head coach or managing director positions, although there is a new national selector in Marcus North.
Since England last played, there have been a few changes to the playing squad. The most notable decision has come at the top of the order, where Zak Crawley has unsurprisingly lost his place and will be replaced by Durham’s Emilio Gay, who is set for his England debut today and has been in fine form for his county this season so far batting at number three. Gay is one of three uncapped players in the squad for the series along with Somerset’s James Rew and Hampshire’s Sonny Baker. There is a recall for Ollie Robinson, who returns after a two-year exodus. His fitness came into question when he was dropped so what will that look like now?
Jacob Bethell was a doubt after injuring his finger whilst at the IPL but has been passed fit to take his place in the team at number three. One man who is not in the squad for this first Test of the summer is Jofra Archer, who is missing following his IPL stint. His status for the second Test is still up in the air.
“Obviously it [the Ashes series defeat] hurt,” said England captain Ben Stokes, who turns 35 today. “Anyone who thinks losing any series, let alone an Ashes away from home when you went there with big expectations; if that does not hurt, then it would be a bit silly to not feel like that. Time is a great healer. You go through a lot of emotions.
“You sort of make things up in your head, but when you go over things in detail, it actually becomes pretty simple. You are very clear in your head about what you want to do going forward. It is not massive change, to be honest. As much as people want to hear us say that, it is not. It is being a lot smarter in those big moments in games, because I will admit that consistently when we were in the balance, when it was neither one way nor the other, we consistently let ourselves down.”
New Zealand warmed up for this series with a dominant win over Ireland last month, winning the one-off Test match by an innings and 79 runs. The tourists have named a squad full of experience on these shores, with the likes of Kane Williamson, Matt Henery and captain Tom Latham leading the way. These sides last met in New Zealand towards the end of 2024, when England won 2-1. The last time New Zealand toured England for a Test series was the first summer of Bazball, with Ben Stokes’ taking a series whitewash 3-0.
This is the 150th Test match to be played at the Home of Cricket so let’s hope for a cracker of a game. The weather forecast for day one looks a touch iffy but play from Lord’s is set to get under way at 11am.