Robinson’s Rampage Sends NZ Top Order Packing as England Hit Back

16 wickets fell on Day 1 at Lord’s under overcast, seaming conditions. England were bowled out for 140, then hit back hard to leave NZ 61/6 at stumps, trailing by 79.

The net result was scarcely distinguishable, in other words, from the last first day of an England versus New Zealand Test match at Lord's - the original Stokes-McCullum launch party of June 2022, when 17 wickets tumbled in a madcap day of seam and swing, and England's eventual total of 141 in 42.5 overs (compared to 140 in 39.4 this time around) ended up being the launchpad for greater things.

Kyle Jamieson marked his return with 5/22, using extra bounce and seam to wreck England’s top order. Nathan Smith 3/26 and Will O’Rourke 2/34 backed him up. England collapsed from 31/1 to 34/4, with Duckett, Bethell, and Root all out cheaply. Only Harry Brook 56 off 71 resisted.

But then, in the evening sunshine, that performance was trumped by an even more startling comeback from England's own rangy right-armer. Like Jamieson, Ollie Robinson chugged in from the Nursery End, exploiting his towering release point and metronomic accuracy to prove that outright pace is no pre-requisite for world-class status. He too was back after a two-and-a-half year absence from Test cricket, although Robinson's many critics would argue that his own back issues in that period had been symptom, rather than cause, of his banishment.

Ollie Robinson came back after 2 years out and ripped through NZ’s top order: 4/10 from 6 overs. In his 2nd over he bowled a triple-wicket maiden: Devon Conway lbw, Kane Williamson caught at short leg, Rachin Ravindra lbw to leave NZ 2/3.He later bowled Daryl Mitchell for 12. Gus Atkinson got Latham lbw, Josh Tongue clean bowled Blundell.

A glimpse of that commitment to "smarter cricket" had been witnessed from the outset of England's innings. Duckett, fronting up for the first ball in the absence of his former partner, Zak Crawley, offered consecutive leaves to Henry's opening deliveries en route to a maiden over, and had struck just one boundary in 31 balls before lunch.

NZ crashed to 29/6 after Robinson’s blitz. Glenn Phillips 31 and Nathan Smith 6 put on 32* to take them to 61/6 at stumps, still 79 behind England’s 140.

Bottom line: After Jamieson’s 5-for bowled England out for 140, Ollie Robinson responded with 4/10 including a triple-wicket maiden to demolish NZ’s top order. England hit back to leave NZ 61/6 on a frantic 16-wicket opening day at Lord’s.