Lord’s pitch under fire as 33 wickets fall in two days of England-New Zealand Test
7 verified2 unconfirmed
The first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s has seen 33 wickets fall across the first two days, prompting sharp criticism of the pitch from former players and commentators. England set New Zealand a target of 254 runs to win, and the visitors closed the second day on 36-3, still needing 218 runs. Debutant opener Emilio Gay top-scored for England in the second innings with 57 from 95 balls before a collapse of four wickets for one run in 11 balls briefly shifted momentum. New Zealand had earlier been bowled out for 113 in their first innings, with England seamer Ollie Robinson taking a five-wicket haul. The match is on course to finish inside three days, though Saturday’s weather forecast is poor.
What’s verified
33 wickets fell on the opening two days of the first Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s.
England set New Zealand a target of 254 to win; New Zealand ended day two on 36-3, needing 218 more runs.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he “feels sorry” for batters and called the pitch “not a fair balance between bat and ball.”
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said batting had become “impossible” due to uneven bounce and seam movement.
BBC cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew described the pitch as “really poor” and “not the standard you’d expect for a Lord’s Test.”
Ollie Robinson took 5-39 in New Zealand’s first innings.
Emilio Gay scored 57 on his Test debut for England.
Not yet confirmed
Emilio Gay stated that captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have given him confidence to back his technique, a claim reported by a single source.
The exact nature of possible future pitch renovations or whether the England and Wales Cricket Board might move Tests away from Lord’s was discussed by former players but not confirmed by officials.
Key figures
Michael Vaughan – former England cricket captain
Ben Stokes – England captain
Tom Latham – New Zealand captain
Kane Williamson – New Zealand batter
Emilio Gay – England debutant
Ollie Robinson – England seamer
Nasser Hussain – former England captain
Jonathan Agnew – BBC cricket commentator
Simon Doull – former New Zealand bowler
Brendon McCullum – England head coach
Sources: BBC News, Sky Sports
