England 58 all out as New Zealand dominate first Test in Auckland

By Justin GouldingBBC Sport
England's Chris Woakes is bowled by Trent Boult
Chris Woakes was one of three batsmen to be bowled by Trent Boult
First Test, Eden Park, Auckland (day one of five)
England 58: Overton 33*; Boult 6-32, Southee 4-25
New Zealand 175-3: Williamson 91*
New Zealand lead by 117 runs
Scorecard

England were bowled out for 58 - their sixth lowest total - as New Zealand dominated day one of the first Test.

Playing their first Test since losing the Ashes 4-0 in Australia, England slipped to 27-9 before being dismissed in 20.4 overs at Eden Park, Auckland.

Trent Boult took 6-32 and Tim Southee 4-25 as five batsmen made ducks, equalling England's record.

Kane Williamson's 91 not out helped the hosts to 175-3 - a lead of 117 - after Stuart Broad claimed his 400th wicket.

England became only the fifth side to be bowled out in the first session of a Test.

They knew they were facing a 10th defeat in 12 away Tests long before their last wicket fell barely an hour and a half into what was expected to be a keenly contested two-match series.

Craig Overton, the number nine, top-scored with an unbeaten 33, while Mark Stoneman was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

England's lowest Test totals
45 v Australia, Sydney, 1887
46 v West Indies, Port of Spain, 1994
51 v West Indies, Kingston, 2009
52 v Australia, The Oval, 1948
53 v Australia, Lord's, 1888
58 v New Zealand, Auckland, 2018
Lowest totals in Test cricketexternal-link

'England horrific from start to finish'

Left-armer Boult, in particular, and Southee capitalised on swinging conditions with the pink ball after New Zealand won the toss, in the first day-night Test to be played in the country.

But the technique of England's batsmen was horribly exposed on a blameless surface.

Former England spinner Graeme Swann said on BBC Test Match Special: "It was a horrific day from start to finish.

"New Zealand bowled well but England's technique has been found wanting. Too many were out playing airy fairy drives.

"It was a perfect storm and it felt unstoppable. They got on the end of a juggernaut which just didn't stop. It felt like there was going to be a wicket every ball."

England drew both two-day warm-up matches before the two-Test series, having played four Twenty20s in Australia and New Zealand and five one-day internationals in New Zealand since the Ashes ended in early January.

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said: "You have to look at the lack of preparation. This is rusty. Alastair Cook was out lambing on his farm a few weeks ago.

"Don't blame the conditions. Don't blame the pink ball. There were a lot of mistakes made by England's batsmen.

"Nearly all the batsmen are walking after playing a shot. These are technical errors. It's loose cricket."

Kane Williamson takes a sensational diving catch at gully to remove Stuart Broad
Kane Williamson takes a stunning diving catch at gully to remove Stuart Broad

How the collapse unfolded

  • 6-1: Cook c Latham b Boult 5 - no foot movement and edges outswinger to second slip
  • 6-2: Root b Boult 0 - captain has his off stump knocked back as he attempts to drive one that swings back between bat and pad
  • 16-3: Malan c Watling b Boult 2 - drawn forward and Watling takes fine diving catch in front of first slip
  • 18-4: Stoneman c Watling b Southee 11 - another batsman not moving his feet, another edge to Watling
  • 18-5: Stokes b Boult 0 - playing his first Test since September 2017, Stokes is cleaned up by a fine delivery that clips the top of off stump
  • 18-6: Bairstow c&b Southee 0 - driving on the up and smartly taken in Southee's follow-through
  • 23-7: Woakes b Boult 5 - forward defensive, played on the walk, and is beaten all ends up by another inswinger
  • 23-8: Moeen b Southee 0 - a third batsman of the innings is bowled, Moeen inexplicably missing a low full toss
  • 27-9: Broad c Williamson b Southee 0 - captain takes sensational one-handed catch, diving high to his left at gully, as Broad departs with wry smile
  • 58 all out: Anderson c Nicholls b Boult 1 - fends short ball to gully
Trent Boult (right) and Tim Southee (centre) celebrate
Boult (right) and Tim Southee (centre) bowled unchanged in England's innings

Williamson sets standard as Broad joins 400 club

The scale of England's ineptitude with the bat was emphasised by Williamson, who batted with considerable ease in making his 27th Test half century, after James Anderson located Jeet Raval's outside edge in the ninth over.

Playing the ball late and with soft hands, the skipper punched square off the back foot and accumulated steadily off his pads.

He was perhaps fortunate to survive a run-out on 64 when Chris Woakes claimed he touched a straight drive from Ross Taylor on to the stumps at the non-striker's end. The third umpire disagreed.

It said much for England's perilous position that even Broad's 400th wicket - Tom Latham clipped tamely to mid-wicket to depart for 26 - brought the most understated of celebrations.

Although Taylor, on 20, was hurried into a pull by Anderson to leave New Zealand 123-3, Williamson and the watchful Henry Nicholls shepherded them to the close without further loss.

The new ball is due after 11 overs on Friday but, with Ben Stokes unable to bowl because of a back injury, there has been little evidence so far that England will make better use of it.

New Zealand's Kane Williamson pulls
Kane Williamson has converted 17 of his 26 fifties into centuries before this Test

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

550 comments

Featured

Elsewhere on the BBC