England cricket

England's decision to declare on 325-9 is vindicated by three late wickets on the first day of the day-night first Test against New Zealand in Mount ...

It's probably going to be a bit more of a graft tomorrow." He could have had a hundred in the first session, but drove to cover to give Tickner his maiden scalp. Anderson, Robinson and Stuart Broad were relentless in their control, maximising the helpful conditions. Brook was on course for a fourth hundred in as many Tests - only Ken Barrington has achieved that feat for England before - until he fell to Wagner's bumper barrage. It's filtered throughout the team. To revel in the thrilling wins means accepting the times when the cavalier approach does not work.

BUMBLE ON THE TEST: Day-night Tests are just not cricket, Ben Stokes' England team is selfless and Gilbert Jessop's record of fastest century will soon go.

The last time I was there, I stayed in the car park on the beach in a campervan with Nasser Hussain. It started off OK, a gradual ascent, but I was like Chris Bonington getting up the last bit. The earliest was by Pakistan at Lord's in 1974 — and I was playing. Mike Atherton also thought it was a good idea for us to walk up The Mount. It is the same when I am working on T20 franchise cricket around the world. I am not a fan of day-night Tests.

England players wore black armbands during the first day of their New Zealand test tour.

Officials in New Zealand have described Cyclone Gabrielle as the most significant weather event that the country has seen in this century. Many fans watching the game noticed that both England and New Zealand players were wearing a black armband throughout the contest. It leaves New Zealand trailing by 288 runs after the first day of action.

High-octane batting and a precocious day-one declaration put England in control of the first Test against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui on Thursday.

Wagner said the free-wheeling England approach was anticipated but wasn't necessarily easy to combat. Most of England's wickets fell to aggressive shotmaking, including Root, on 14, whose attempt at a reverse lap off Wagner was steered straight into the slip cordon. He said the declaration was deliberately timed to give world-class new-ball pair Anderson and Stuart Broad a chance to attack the top order. Brook said he was aware of the record but his greater motivation was to put England into a strong position. "I dug in for a little bit but then I decided it was time to go." The 23-year-old Yorkshireman Brook was poised to become only the second England batsman after Ken Barrington in the 1960s to hit centuries in four consecutive Tests but he fell short when playing on to veteran seamer Wagner (4-82).

England made the second earliest declaration in Test cricket history after cutting their first innings short after 59 overs. Advertisement.

[February 16, 2023]

Scott Kuggeleijn to Ben Duckett. Length ball, down leg side on the back foot pushing, to gully for no runs, fielded by Nicholls.

Length ball, off stump on the front foot driving, mis-timed to short extra cover, caught by Bracewell. Back of a length, to leg on the back foot pulling, well timed past deep mid wicket for 4 runs. Neil Wagner to Ben Duckett. Scott Kuggeleijn to Ben Duckett. Blair Tickner to Ollie Pope. Blair Tickner to Ben Duckett. No ball Neil Wagner to Joe Root. Neil Wagner to Joe Root. Neil Wagner to Ollie Pope. No ball Neil Wagner to Ollie Pope. Michael Bracewell to Joe Root. Do join us for the next session in another 20 minutes.

Jonny Bairstow is out of action after breaking his leg in a freak accident while playing golf, but he is set to be back in time for the Ashes and England ...

With [Ollie Pope](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ollie-pope) impressing at number three, where he averages 43.05, and [Joe Root](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/joe-root) and [Ben Stokes](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ben-stokes) undroppable, [England](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/england-cricket-team) face a real dilemma on how to get Bairstow back in the side. If he can keep wicket, bend down and get up, I think that's where he fits in for me, unfortunately for Ben Foakes." "At this minute in time, there are the two places to look at first then after that you look at the form. I'd love to come back to it and talk about him coming into the team, a week before the Ashes, and make a big decision. "All these things will come into the melting pot for selectors. "If he's not able to keep wicket, I think two years ago, I'd have been throwing things at my TV if someone had suggested this. [IPL](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/indian-premier-league) provided there are no setbacks in his recovery. Then you look at who comes out if that person gets injured. [Steve Harmison](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/steve-harmison) admits he "doesn't see him fitting into the middle-order" for the Ashes and suggested he will either keep wicket instead of [Ben Foakes](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/ben-foakes) or open the batting like he does in white-ball cricket. [South Africa](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/south-africa-cricket-team), [Pakistan](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/pakistan-cricket-team) and [New Zealand](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/new-zealand-cricket-team). He will then look to regain his place in the Test team ahead of the [Ashes](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/the-ashes), with head coach [Brendon McCullum](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/brendon-mccullum) stating in December that ["as soon as he's fit he's back in the side"](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-brook-bairstow-brendon-mccullum-28788614). [Jonny Bairstow](https://www.mirror.co.uk/all-about/jonny-bairstow) said [he was "on the right track" in his recovery](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/england-bairstow-ashes-world-cup-29122757) after breaking his leg in three places and dislocating his ankle in a freak accident back in September.

Devon Conway hung tough for a half-century after England grabbed two wickets to leave New Zealand 138 for five at tea on the second day of the first pink ...

Anderson also thought he had Wagner lbw when he was on six runs, but England lost a review trying to overturn the not out decision, with the ball having pitched outside leg stump. It turned out to be a no-ball as Broad had overstepped the mark and the wicket was cancelled. New Zealand resumed on 37 for three, having had a torrid night on day one as England's pace trio of James Anderson, Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad revelled in the swing of the pink ball under lights.