England debutant Matthew Potts took four wickets against New Zealand only to end the hosts’ collapse on the first day of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday. World The Test champions were bowled out for 132 before England, in the first of this three-match series, slipped to 116/7 by the stumps.
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Ahead of the match, there was talk of a fresh start under new England Test captain Ben Stokes and recently appointed red-ball coach Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain.
But it was a reminder that there is no quick fix to the fundamental batting weakness that has led England to victory in just one of their last 17 matches at this level, a run that has dropped them down the World Test Championship table.
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Potts took a stunning four for 13 in 9.2 overs, rewarding a challenging line and length, with great England fast bowler James Anderson taking four for 66 in 16.
Zak Crowley starts England’s reply with a quick 43.
But the exit of the opener triggered a recession, with England losing seven wickets for just 41 runs on a fine pitch under sunny blue skies – ideal batting conditions.
Stokes himself was dismissed for just one run, with former captain and star batsman Joe Root getting out for 11.
New Zealand’s left-arm pacer Trent Boult, who arrived in England on Monday after playing in the Indian Premier League final, took two for 15 in 10 overs and pacer Kyle Jamieson took two wickets for 20 runs in seven overs.
Crowley looked in fine touch, hitting one of his seven fours on a straight drive off Tim Southee. But the wickets fell after Jamieson missed his catch.
Root hit a trademark forceful shot for a boundary off all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme and was caught in the street playing a similar stroke for 11 runs off the same bowler.
Alex Lees struggled to make 25 off 77 balls before Stokes was dismissed for just one off Southee.
Jonny Bairstow was also dismissed for a run before Boult brought Potts back down to earth in his first Test innings by removing the newcomer for a duck – the last of a remarkable 17 wickets falling in the day’s play.
New Zealand were in a bad position at 45 for seven after captain Kane Williamson decided to bat first.
But all-rounder de Grandhomme increased his total by playing an unbeaten 42 runs in 50 balls.
anderson double
Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s two most successful Test bowlers to date, had 1,177 wickets between them before this match, both of whom were controversially ruled out of a 1-0 series loss in the Caribbean earlier this year.
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But the 39-year-old Anderson was soon back in a familiar groove as he removed openers Will Young and Tom Latham with the help of two slip catches, the first superb diving one-hand attempt by Bairstow.
New Zealand’s Devon Conway, who scored a double century in his Test debut last year at Lord’s, fell for just three runs on Thursday when he was caught by Bairstow off Broad.
England’s Jack Leach had to leave the field for half an hour in the day’s play after the spinner fell on his head and neck while stopping a boundary.
Leach was later ruled out of the rest of the match due to concussion symptoms, with England calling in uncapped Lancashire leg-spinner Matt Parkinson from Manchester as a concussion substitute.
However, Potts struck his fifth ball when Williamson, whose elbow injury meant he had missed New Zealand’s last five Tests, reduced wicketkeeper Ben Fox.
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