Sports05 June, 20263 min read
England Rout New Zealand at Lord’s After 33 Wickets Fall in Two Days
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33 wickets fell across the opening two days at Lord's. New Zealand were 36-3 chasing 254 at stumps on day two.
Wickets pile up at Lord’s
A fast-bowling Lord’s Test between England and New Zealand saw 33 wickets fall inside two days, leaving New Zealand trailing England by 218 runs at stumps on day two. England set a target of 218 runs to win after New Zealand were 36-3 in pursuit of 254, with the pitch delivering uneven bounce and seam movement that repeatedly broke batting lines. Debutant Emilio Gay top-scored for England with 57 from 95 deliveries as the hosts reached 226 in their second innings, while New Zealand’s Kane Williamson was dismissed 10 minutes before stumps.
New Zealand then lost further wickets in the chase, with Tom Latham out to the third ball of the chase and Williamson and nightwatchman Will O’Rourke also failing to survive to stumps, as Gus Atkinson took 2-10 and Josh Tongue took 1-10. Nathan Smith’s spell underlined the day’s pace dominance, with the New Zealand bowler taking six wickets for 70 runs as England’s second innings collapsed at Lord’s.
Criticism splits across voices
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he “feels sorry” for batters over the state of the Lord’s pitch, arguing it was “not a test for the bowlers, because it has been too easy.” Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special that “This isn't a fair balance between bat and ball,” and added that the MCC “know this pitch isn't up to standard.” Nasser Hussain, speaking on Sky Sports, described the wicket as “substandard” and said batting was “impossible” because of variable bounce and pace that misbehaved upwards.
Hussain also pointed to Jacob Bethell’s dismissal as an example, saying he had “no chance at all” to keep it out, while Sky Sports reported that the pitch had been steamed in an attempt to revitalise the soil under the square. As the debate sharpened, Simon Doull argued on Sky Sports that the ECB could even take matches away from Lord’s if the pitch was not improved, saying the ECB would have to combine with the MCC to force action.
What happens next for the match
With New Zealand needing another 218 runs to win after closing day two on 36-3, the third day at Lord’s begins with the chase still steep and the pitch continuing to punish batters. The AP report said Devon Conway, on 12, will restart the Kiwi innings on Saturday with rain in the forecast, while the BBC noted that New Zealand still required 218 runs and that conditions would need to change dramatically. England’s position was reinforced by wickets taken by Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, and by the earlier collapse that followed Emilio Gay’s 57 as New Zealand’s bowlers exploited the surface.
“You can't keep playing on this particular strip and it will cost them a lot of money.”
The criticism of the square also fed into the wider stakes beyond the immediate result, with Jonathan Agnew telling the BBC that “You can't keep playing on this particular strip and it will cost them a lot of money.” In parallel, Doull said the outfield “looks magnificent” but that the grounds staff were working with a “tired, old pitch block” that “needs replacing,” while the ICC’s verdict on the Lord’s pitch was expected in the week following the conclusion of the first Test.