New Zealand and England were in a two-match Test series, in which the first match took place in the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. The host side failed miserably against England, whose bowlers bailed them out by presenting an extremely disciplined and clinical show that demolished the batting of New Zealand both times. The striding bowling display gives a comprehensive win to visitors.
England Strike Early
England, after winning the toss, decided to bowl first. The pace attack of England got off to a flying start. Evergreen at 42, James Anderson dismissed New Zealand captain Tom Latham for a duck in the very first over. The visitors continued to apply pressure. Meanwhile, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson picked up two wickets apiece to reduce the hosts to 48/4 by the end of the first session.
Will Young Provides Resistance
Will Young was the only New Zealand batsman who showed some resilience. He provided valuable support to Daryl Mitchell with 32 and Tom Blundell with 27 as New Zealand limped to 195 all out. The only spinner in the England bowling, Jack Leach added two wickets.
England Bats Their Way To Victory
England batted their way to victory as they displayed their batting strength. The opening pair, Zak Crawley (72) and Alex Lees (58), laid the foundation with a 124-run opening stand. Former England captain Joe Root, meanwhile, continued his impressive form by scoring a flowing 85. Furthermore, Jonny Bairstow (42) and Ben Stokes (38) did well to chip in quickly down the order to lift England to an imposing total of 435. Thus for New Zealand, Tim Southee stood out with three wickets.
New Zealand Falter Again
Facing an impossible task of winning with a deficit of 241 runs, New Zealand’s batting collapsed again in the second innings. Anderson and Broad had once again shown the destructive intent by picking the top order cheaply. Newcomer Matthew Potts made a fine display with his pace and precision as he picked three wickets. Finally, New Zealand folded up for a low score of 128, and England took an innings and 12-run victory.
Bowlers make all the difference for England
The accolades for this victory go to the bowling machine of England. Anderson and Broad, the oldies, were unplayable at times, proving they still have it in them with experience and skill. Besides, Robinson and Potts gave adequate backup, showing that England’s bench strength is good enough at the pace end. The lone spinner, Leach, played his role adequately too.
New Zealand went away ruing missed opportunities
New Zealand, however, will be disappointed with their performance. Their batting line-up failed to fire on both occasions, succumbing to the pressure created by England’s bowlers. Therefore, the hosts will need to find a way to counter England’s bowling attack if they are to bounce back in the second Test.
Looking Ahead
With a 1-0 lead in the series, England will be chalking up plenty of confidence at Wellington in the second Test starting December 4th. New Zealand will, however, not wish to go down without a good fight, level the series at least and definitely do better batting for them.
