Atkinson strikes as dominant England defeat New Zealand in first Test / Photo: © AFP
Atkinson strikes as dominant England defeat New Zealand in first Test
Gus Atkinson's love-affair with Lord's continued Sunday as England overwhelmed New Zealand by 115 runs to win the first Test.
New Zealand, set 254 to win, were dismissed for 138 before lunch on the fourth day in what was the 150th Test staged at Lord's -- the most at any ground.
Surrey paceman Atkinson took 5-30 -- his fourth five-wicket innings haul in three Tests at Lord's -- as England went 1-0 up in a three-match series.
But fellow seamer Ollie Robinson was named player-of-the-match after marking his first Test in over two years with seven wickets in the match -- including a Test-best haul of 5-39, featuring a rare triple-wicket maiden, in New Zealand's meagre first-innings 113.
England's success also owed much to debutant opener Emilo Gay's 57 in their second-innings 226.
On Sunday, Devon Conway (41) and Glenn Phillips (44 not out) kept England at bay with a seventh-wicket partnership of 53 -- New Zealand's highest of a low-scoring match.
England still only needed 19 overs to take the five wickets they required for victory as their first Test since a woeful 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia, ended in a comprehensive success.
New Zealand's overnight 55-5 became 58-6 when Tom Blundell was lbw to fast bowler Josh Tongue.
Left-handed opener Conway, who resumed on 19 not out, slashed Tongue through gully for four.
He should have been out next ball for 24 when Harry Brook dropped a two-handed chance above his head at second slip after the batsman tried to uppercut Tongue.
New batsman Phillips drilled Robinson through extra-cover for four on another overcast morning that favoured the fast bowlers, with stroke-play far from easy on a pitch of inconsistent bounce.
The aggressive Phillips thrashed a slightly wide Robinson delivery through the covers for four.
England captain Ben Stokes brought himself on but Phillips clipped his fifth ball through midwicket for four to bring up New Zealand's hundred.
Stokes did break through when he squared up Conway with a good-length ball that took the edge, Jacob Bethell holding a fine low catch in the gully to end a gritty 91-ball innings.
New Zealand's 111-7 was transformed into 116-8 when Atkinson had Nathan Smith caught behind.
And the Black Caps were nine wickets down and on the brink of defeat when Kyle Jamieson, who made 38 not out in the first innings, fell for six after clipping Atkinson to midwicket
Phillips defiantly pulled Tongue for six - one of eight boundaries in 52 balls faced.
But there was nothing he could do when Atkinson bowled last man Matt Henry for a duck to finish with innings figure of 5-30 in 11.3 overs.
The series now moves across London to the Oval, where the second Test starts on June 17.
F.Adams--TNT
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