England vs New Zealand 1st Test Day 3 Highlights

That's all from the Home of Cricket - That is it from this opening Test, with England taking the early lead while New Zealand are left with a few things to rethink. The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy now moves to The Oval, London, for the second Test starting on 17th June, Wednesday. The first ball is scheduled for 10 am GMT, but you can join us early for all the build-up. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of England - Ben Stokes calls it a good result and also highlights how much has happened away from the field coming into this Test. Mentions that to put in a performance like this under such circumstances means a great deal. He says England identified the conditions quickly and it worked in their favour, though he is quick to note that Test cricket is tough and you never quite know what you are getting. On the two-day finish and the team's approach, he says the conversations in the dressing room this week were clear and quick. With a lot of people and a lot of ideas, he stresses that clarity matters. Notes that the wicket challenged them as a batting unit, but they knew what they had to do, and had clear plans against the New Zealand batters, and executed really well. On Emilio Gay's debut, Stokes points out that fifty at the top was on the top end of Test cricket. He calls it a monumental contribution that gave England the lead, and a tough introduction to the format, which Emilio handled exceptionally well. On Robinson's bowling, he says the skill Ollie possesses has never been in question. Says he is relentless with his lines and lengths, incredibly competitive in attitude, and a phenomenal bowler who led the attack really well alongside Atkinson. He adds that the bowling unit as a whole was great, and chuckles that he himself just chipped in at the backend every now and then. On any broader concerns, Stokes keeps it simple. Says that they just want to play their best brand of Test cricket, and that is all they are concentrating on.

The captain of New Zealand - Tom Latham says that the bowlers dominated this Test entirely. He says that they started well but failed to form partnerships, and that is what hurt them. He reckons that they weren't able to get through that tricky phase on day 1, and the dropped catches is something they need to work on, especially in a low-scoring game. Further says that the surface was difficult to bat on and the ball was moving sideways. The bowlers exploited the conditions well. Ends by saying that they could have done some things in a better way and that they will bounce back stronger, as they have a lot to work on.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Ollie Robinson wins the award on his return to Test cricket for his excellent figures of 7/77 in the match. Robinson says it was his dream to come back, and there was a time he genuinely thought he would never play for England again. He admits the nerves were probably the worst he has ever felt before a game, with anxiety through the roof and no feeling in his legs through that first over. When being reminded about his triple-wicket maiden, Ollie says that was something he had never done before, and he adds there are no words to describe what it felt like with the crowd behind him. He adds that they bowled well as a unit with real clarity of plans, hitting the stumps constantly from both ends, and generating good seam movement. He then singles out Emilio Gay for a really fine debut, and then praises Gus Atkinson for once again thriving at Lord's. On Josh Tongue, he says he is simply unbelievable, rarely missing his lines and lengths. He says it was a really enjoyable week to be part of that seam attack and hopes they can carry it through the summer. He closes by saying he knows this is just the start and there is plenty of hard work still ahead.

Presentation Time...

Catches win matches - You would expect the big names to deliver in conditions like these, but that wasn't the case. Joe Root managed just 9 runs across both innings, while Kane Williamson, likely in his final Test at Lord’s, could only muster 18. The real difference came in the field, with New Zealand spilling as many as five catches, including Harry Brook, one of only two half-centurions in the match, and missing a key LBW review against Emilio Gay, who made a vital maiden fifty. In a game dominated by the bowlers, with four five-wicket hauls shared between Kyle Jamieson, Ollie Robinson, Nathan Smith and Gus Atkinson, England’s batters did just enough to edge ahead. As Michael Atherton noted on air, this 150th Test at Lord’s also turned out to be the second-shortest in the venue’s history, with a record 24 dismissals coming via bowled or LBW, a brutal, fast-moving contest from start to finish.

The Lord's bully strikes again - It didn't take long for England to strike on Day 4, with Josh Tongue trapping Tom Blundell plumb in front to set the tone. Glenn Phillips then injected some energy into the chase, playing with intent as he and Devon Conway added 53 valuable runs, before Conway's resistance ended on 41 off 91 balls. Gus Atkinson then tore through the innings with a quick double blow, continuing his remarkable record at Lord’s, reaching 25 wickets in just three Tests at the venue. With only one wicket left, Phillips was forced to farm the strike and go after the bowling, managing to keep things alive briefly, but he eventually fell, and fittingly, it was Atkinson who sealed the deal with a memorable five-for as the Kiwis folded under pressure, remaining winless in Tests at this venue since 1999.

Drizzle and dominance - Persistent rain meant only 9.4 overs were possible, but Robinson was once again the man making things happen. He removed Rachin Ravindra (8) with a delivery that kissed the top of off stump, then trapped Daryl Mitchell lbw for a three-ball duck. That took his match tally to seven wickets, a stunning return after more than two years away from Test cricket. New Zealand crawled to 55 for 5 at the close, still needing 199 runs with only five wickets standing. The pitch claimed 35 wickets in less than two days of normal playing time. England were closing in but with rain still threatening, nothing was certain.

Grit, chaos and another collapse - New Zealand were polished off for 113 in the morning, Robinson (5/39) deservedly claiming his place on the honours board. England's second innings then seemed to be building towards safety. Debutant Emilio Gay batted beautifully for 57, and at 126 for 2, the lead was 153. Then came the implosion. Four wickets fell for one run in just 11 balls - Gay, Brook (0), Root (8), and Stokes (0) all gone in a blur of indecision and edge. England limped to 226 all out, setting New Zealand 254 to win. The visitors survived a tense final hour to reach 36 for 3, with 18 wickets tumbling across another breathless day. This Test refused to follow any script.

The Robinson revival - The 150th Test at the Home of Cricket delivered drama from the very first ball, with 16 wickets falling on a treacherous surface. England, sent in to bat, were blown away for just 140, with Kyle Jamieson (5/62) rolling back the years on his return to Test cricket. Harry Brook's belligerent 56 was the only innings of substance while the rest of the order simply had no answer to the relentless movement. But the day belonged to Ollie Robinson. Recalled after two years in the wilderness, the seamer produced a triple-wicket maiden, removing Conway, Williamson (0), and Ravindra (0) in four devastating deliveries. New Zealand slumped to 61 for 6 at Stumps, trailing by 79 runs, and Lord's was left shaking its head in disbelief.

Survival of the fittest - England draw first blood in the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy, taking a 1-0 lead at Lord’s on a surface that was a batter's nightmare and a bowler's paradise. After the Ashes drubbing, this was a timely response from England - composed, clinical, and full of intent. New Zealand will rue a few missed chances in a low-scoring contest where every moment mattered, and England made them pay. The hosts sealed a 115-run win with more than four sessions to spare, mastering brutal conditions and reminding everyone of their resilience at home.

OUT! BOWLED! It was Robinson in the first innings, and now a five-wicket haul for Gus Atkinson at Lord's as well. He is on the Honour's Board yet again. England win the first Test match by 115 runs. A comprehensive win for the hosts, as they were lethally efficient with the ball and just good enough with the bat. Coming to the delivery. Back of a length on off, and it jags back just enough. Henry is caught on the crease, searching for it in front of his body, and is beaten on the inside edge. The ball sneaks through and crashes into the middle stump, which is uprooted and flattened. New Zealand have been bundled out for a mere 138 runs.

Much fuller, on off, Matt Henry drives it to the cover fielder.

Good length, angling in, on off. Matt Henry blocks it to mid on.

A half-hearted appeal for a caught behind, but turned down by the umpire. Stokes ponders a lot for a review, but gets no support from anyone. And the timer runs out. Well-directed short ball, and angling down leg from middle with extra bounce. Phillips swings across to hook it away, but the ball beats the bat, and in fact, it flies over his helmet on its way to Jamie Smith behind the stumps.

FOUR! Threads the gap nicely! Good length, kicks up and cuts in on off. Glenn Phillips lets the ball arrive, plays it very late. Opens the bat face at the point of contact and splits the gully and slip fielders for a boundary.

BEATEN! By a kitten-whisker. Hard length, outside off, Glenn Phillips stays put and throws his hands at it to smash into the cover region, but the ball leaves him and whistles past the outside edge.

This one stays underground from a fuller length, nipping in on the pads. Phillips look to whip it over mid-wicket, but the ball flirts the bottom edge and hits the front pad.

Two is the call from Phillips, but he bails out. Back of a length, around off. Glenn Phillips crisply punches it to deep cover. The initial thought is to take two, but the fielder is quick to charge to the ball to his left and prevents any run. Henry, who is almost halfway through, is forced to retreat back. He does so safely, though.

Huge nip-backer on a good length, on leg. Glenn Phillips steps across and tucks it to the mid-wicket fielder.