England romp to victory in first test against New Zealand

LONDON, June 7 : England exploited to the full a Lord’s pitch once again offering erratic bounce and lateral movement on Sunday to win the rain-interrupted first test against New Zealand by 115 runs with a day and two sessions to spare.

New Zealand, set a daunting 254 to win the opening game in the three-match series, were dismissed for 138 before lunch on the fourth day after resuming on 55 for five in the 150th test at the home of world cricket.

The Marylebone Cricket Club issued a rare public apology after the milestone test turned into a bowler's paradise as wickets tumbled every 25 balls on average.

The first wicket of the day fell after only seven deliveries when paceman Josh Tongue jagged the ball late into wicketkeeper Tom Blundell (4) who was hit low on the back pads and given out lbw.

Tongue then had opener Devon Conway dropped on 24 by Harry Brook at second slip in his next over when the ball flew through the fielder’s outstretched hands as he reached in vain over his head.

Left-hander Conway battled his way to 41 from 91 balls when he was brilliantly caught low in the gully by Jacob Bethell off captain Ben Stokes’s bowling and Nathan Smith was then caught behind by Jamie Smith for four off Gus Atkinson.

PHILLIPS RUNS OUT OF PARTNERS

Glenn Phillips, as he had in the first innings when he scored 34 in his team’s meagre 113, opted to play his shots, but soon lost his new partner Kyle Jamieson caught by Ben Duckett at short mid-wicket for six off Atkinson, who finished with five for 30 while man-of-the-match Ollie Robinson took two for 38.

Robinson, 32, who endured two years in the cricketing wilderness after the England management questioned his fitness and conditioning, made a sensational return to test cricket when he