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Auckland, March 22
Captain Kane Williamson’s unbeaten 91 set New Zealand up for a commanding lead after England were bowled out for one of their lowest scores in the first Test here on Thursday. At stumps on Day 1 in the first day-night Test in New Zealand, the Black Caps were 175/3, 117 runs ahead with seven wickets in hand.
England were left red-faced when they failed to cope with a swing bowling masterclass by Trent Boult and Tim Southee to be all out for just 58 in 20.4 overs. They were flirting with the world-record low of 26, set by New Zealand on the same ground against England in 1955, until No. 9 batsman Craig Overton spared their blushes with an unbeaten 33. Apart from Stuart Broad taking his 400th Test wicket, it was a bleak day for the tourists, who registered their sixth lowest total in Tests.
But for New Zealand, Williamson commanded the Test from the moment he won the toss and opted to bowl. He featured in the field with a superb diving catch in the gully to remove Broad, and ended the day closing in on New Zealand’s record for Test centuries. He currently shares the record of 17 centuries with Ross Taylor and the late Martin Crowe.
Williamson went to the middle after the early dismissal of Jeet Raval, when New Zealand were 8/1, and put on 84 with Tom Latham for the second wicket. Latham made a patient 26 off 112 deliveries but was dismissed in the first over after dinner to give Broad his milestone scalp.
Stream of English batsmen
Boult, who finished the England innings with a career-best 6/32, started their downfall when he had Alastair Cook out for five in the fifth over. A steady stream of batsmen going to and from the crease followed, five of them departing with a duck and only Mark Stoneman (11), along with Overton, reaching double figures.
After Cook, Boult claimed Joe Root for a six-ball duck, Dawid Malan for two, Ben Stokes — who faced eight deliveries on his return to Test cricket — for a duck, Chris Woakes (5) and James Anderson (1). Southee, who finished with 4/25, kept up the carnage with the wickets of Stoneman, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Stuart Broad, who were each dismissed without scoring. — AFP
Scoreboard
England 1st innings
A Cook c Latham b Boult 5
M Stoneman c Watling b Southee 11
J Root b Boult 0
D Malan c Watling b Boult 2
B Stokes b Boult 0
J Bairstow c&b Southee 0
M Ali b Southee 0
C Woakes b Boult 5
C Overton not out 33
S Broad c Williamson b Southee 0
J Anderson c Nicholls b Boult 1
Extras: (LB-1) 1
Total: (all out in 20.4 overs) 58
Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-6 3-16 4-18
5-18 6-18 7-23 8-23 9-27 10-58
Bowling
Trent Boult 10.4-3-32-6
Tim Southee 10-3-25-4
New Zealand 1st innings
J Raval c Bairstow b Anderson 3
T Latham c Woakes b Broad 26
K Williamson not out 91
R Taylor c Woakes b Anderson 20
H Nicholls not out 24
Extras: (LB-6 W-5) 11
Total: (3 wickets in 69.0 overs) 175
Fall of wickets: 1-8 2-92 3-123
Bowling
James Anderson 13-4-32-2
Stuart Broad 15-4-24-1
Craig Overton 15-4-43-0
Chris Woakes 15-5-36
Moeen Ali 11-1-34-0
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