England vs New Zealand, 1st Test 2026 – Day 1.. bowlers call the shots
A rain-interrupted yet utterly captivating opening day at Lord’s saw bowlers dominate proceedings as 16 wickets tumbled in just 60 overs. After being skittled out for a modest 140, England fought back magnificently with the ball to reduce New Zealand to 61/6 at stumps, leaving the visitors trailing by 79 runs in a dramatic start to the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy series. New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss and elected to field under overcast skies, a decision that paid immediate dividends. The English batting line-up never truly settled on a lively Lord’s surface offering pronounced seam movement. Debutant Emilio Gay showed early promise but fell for 8, while the rest of the top order struggled against relentless Kiwi bowling. The lone beacon for England was Harry Brook, who produced a counter-attacking innings of 56 from 71 balls. Brook mixed caution with aggression, striking several elegant boundaries to prevent an even more severe collapse. However, wickets continu...