New Zealand vs England 1st Test, day 1 review: James Anderson puts tourists on top after bold declaration

MOUNT MAUNGANUI — As England’s Bazball bandwagon rode into Mount Maunganui, Harry Brook was once again the torchbearer for England’s new way on a captivating opening day of this first Test against New Zealand.

The colour of the ball may have been different, this being a day-night Test, but the 23-year-old picked up from where he left off in Pakistan before Christmas, a series in which his three centuries in successive matches helped England to a 3-0 whitewash.

Brook missed out on becoming only the second Englishman after Ken Barrington to score hundreds in four successive Tests, falling for 89 following a freak dismissal by Neil Wagner.

Yet his clear thinking and clean striking at one stage saw him close in on England’s fastest Test century, with Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball landmark set in 1902 still standing despite this current group of players seemingly threatening it in every Test they play.

Ben Duckett, who turbo-charged the start of this innings before falling for 84 from 68 balls, also came close to toppling Jessop’s record that was set just 18 months after the reign of Queen Victoria ended.

In the end, though, despite a pitch that appeared good for batting, no one else got past the 42 scored by Ollie Pope as England declared on 325 for nine to give their bowlers 18 overs to have a crack at New Zealand’s batters with the pink ball under floodlights here at the Bay Oval.

The ploy worked, too, with England reducing their opponents to 37 for three by the close, with Ollie Robinson having Tom Latham caught at short leg before James Anderson made the pink ball talk, trapping Kiwi talisman Kane Williamson lbw for six on review and having Henry Nicholls caught by Crawley at second slip.

Things would have been even better for the tourists too had Crawley not dropped his first chance off Anderson, reprieving Devon Conway on nine.

Key moments on day one

Crawley torture

Zak Crawley could have been out three times during his 14-ball innings. Dropped off the second ball of the match, bowled off a Neil Wagner no-ball on three, then finally put out of his misery when edging Tim Southee to third slip. The opener later dropped Devon Conway off James Anderson to complete a miserable day.

Ben blitz

Ben Duckett became the latest Bazballer to flirt with Gilbert Jessop’s 76-ball record for the fastest England century, accelerating to his fifty off 36 balls – the joint-fastest for an England opener – and still stalking Jessop’s mark on 84 from 67 deliveries before he became debutant Blair Tickner’s maiden Test wicket when driving to cover.

No-go Joe

Joe Root’s reverse ramp – first unveiled during last summer’s Trent Bridge Test against New Zealand – has become a staple for the former England captain in the Bazball era. And he had never got out trying it before he was caught here at slip attempting to scoop Wagner over the infield.

Harry pain

Just as he was looking to become only the second England batter in history to score hundreds in four successive Tests, Harry Brook fell victim to a freak dismissal on 89 when he edged a Wagner short delivery into the ground and saw the ball ricochet off his bottom and onto the stumps.

Kane’s not able

England’s punchy declaration to make full use of the pink ball under lights bore fruit when Anderson grabbed the key wicket of Kane Williamson for six following Ollie Robinson’s earlier removal of Tom Latham.

The final 90 minutes of the day was full vindication for England’s bold declaration after just 58.2 overs – the second-earliest in Test history after Pakistan’s 44.5-over effort at Lord’s in 1974.

Although it felt like England were below par by the time their whirlwind innings – paced at 5.57 runs an over – came to an end, nine wins from 10 Tests under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes means this uber-aggressive style is currently immune from criticism. It’s worth remembering, too, that England used up the entire allocation of 90 overs on the opening day of the first Test at this same venue just over three years ago to score 241 for four. How times have changed.

It’s not only the flirting with records that now seems routine in this Bazball era, with the fact England scored 134 and 145 runs in the first two sessions almost passing without comment. This high-octane batting has now become the new normal but it is still an outlier in the Test arena, where scoring 100 runs a session is a good effort.

Given England have been hammered in all five of their previous pink-ball Tests overseas, this batting effort should be seen in its proper context.

Moreover, nobody who watched the opening day of this two-match series could complain they hadn’t been entertained. Bazball can’t always be plain sailing and there will be bad days as well as the good. At the moment, though, England are just putting their foot to the floor and enjoying the ride. Long may it continue.

Player of the day: Harry Brook © Provided by The i Brook continued his fine form in England’s middle order (Photo: AP)

He missed out on breaking Jessop’s record and scoring a fourth century in successive Tests – although he will have another go in the second innings here. But the 23-year-old’s clean striking is a joy to behold, with the six he clubbed onto the grass banks off Southee in the 45th over the highlight.

Quote of the day

“Ohhhh @jimmy9 you beauty!!!” – Jonny Bairstow, laid up at home recovering from a broken leg, tweets his approval of James Anderson’s wicket of Kane Williamson

What England need to do now

Wrap up the New Zealand innings as quickly as possible to gain as big a lead as they can and then bat big in the second innings. Do that and they are as good as home in this Test.