LONDON, (Reuters) – Stuart Broad took seven wickets to rip through the New Zealand batting order and bowl England to an emphatic 170-run victory on the fourth day of the first test at Lord’s yesterday.
The touring side were skittled for 68 in just 22.3 overs, putting England 1-0 up in the two-match series and giving them the perfect start to a summer in which they also host Australia in five Ashes tests.
New Zealand, chasing 239 for victory after bowling England out for 213 in their second innings, collapsed to 29 for six at lunch and Broad and James Anderson finished them off 45 minutes into the afternoon session.
“It was a really good hour before lunch,” Broad told a news conference. “I was delighted with the way we stuck at it as a unit.
“It’s all about rhythm as a bowler. My stride pattern was pretty good. I knew if I got the ball up there there was enough in the pitch.”
Broad removed Peter Fulton (1), Hamish Rutherford (9), Ross Taylor (0), Kane Williamson (6) and Brendon McCullum (8) in the space of 32 balls in the morning session.
Fulton was caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior in Broad’s first over and he then sent Rutherford’s off-stump cart-wheeling with a fine swinging delivery.
Taylor edged his second ball low to England captain Alastair Cook at first slip and Williamson, who survived 24 balls for his six runs, inexplicably drove Broad straight to Steven Finn at extra cover.
Anderson, who took five wickets in the first innings, found the edge of Brownlie’s bat and Cook took another easy catch.
Broad trapped McCullum lbw, the New Zealand captain trudging dejectedly back to the pavilion after he failed to get the decision overturned on review.
Tim Southee was dropped by Anderson at second slip off Broad but he heaved the next ball into the leg side and Joe Root ran round from deep square leg to take a good catch just inside the boundary.
BJ Watling edged Anderson low to Jonathan Trott at third slip for 13 to leave New Zealand on 54 for eight.
MIDDLE STUMP
Neil Wagner pulled Broad over mid-wicket for the first six of the match but the tall fast bowler soon took out Bruce Martin’s middle stump to complete test-best figures of seven for 44.
Anderson looked like claiming the last wicket when Wagner skied the ball towards long-leg but, after the difficult catch was dropped, the batsmen got in a mix-up and Wagner was run out for 17.
McCullum put New Zealand’s collapse down to quality bowling and a poor start.
“Within an hour the game turned on its head,” he said. “Stuart Broad’s spell of bowling was high class, impeccable length and he swung the ball.
“We were confident that 230 was achievable but we needed a good start and 29-6 was not it. You need to find a way to stem the flow of wickets and we couldn’t do that today.”
The day started well for New Zealand when Southee removed Finn (6), Ian Bell (6) and Graeme Swann (1) in quick succession.
After England had resumed on 180 for six, Southee dismissed nightwatchman Finn in his first over, caught by substitute fielder Martin Guptill at second slip.
Broad hit a few lusty blows to lift England past 200 but Bell, who spent most of Saturday in bed with the flu, became Southee’s fifth victim when he played a loose drive and Brownlie pouched a sharp catch at third slip.
Southee struck again when Swann flashed wildly at a wide delivery and gave wicketkeeper McCullum, deputising for the injured Watling, a simple catch and the fast bowler completed figures of six for 50.
Off-spinner Williamson had Anderson caught by Southee at cover after the ball cannoned up off short leg, leaving Broad stranded on 26 not out.
The second and final test starts at Headingley in Leeds on Friday.
SCOREBOARD
England first innings 232
New Zealand first innings 207 (K.Williamson 60, R.Taylor 66; J.Anderson 5-47)
England second innings (overnight 180 for six)
A.Cook c Brownlie b Boult 21
N.Compton b Wagner 15
J.Trott b Williamson 56
J.Root b Southee 71
J.Bairstow b Southee 5
M.Prior c sub b Southee 0
S.Finn c sub b Southee 6
I.Bell c Brownlie b Southee 6
S.Broad not out 26
G.Swann c McCullum b Southee 1
J.Anderson c Southee b Williamson 0
Extras (nb-2 w-1 b-3) 6
Total (all out, 68.3 overs) 213
Fall of wickets: 1-36 2-36 3-159 4-167 5-171 6-171 7-183 8-200 9-210 10-213.
Bowling: Boult 15-3-56-1 Southee 19-4-50-6 Wagner 13-2-44-1 (1w 1nb) Martin 13-2-40-0 (1nb) Williamson 8.3-2-20-2.
New Zealand second innings
P.Fulton c Prior b Broad 1
H.Rutherford b Broad 9
K.Williamson c Finn b Broad 6
R.Taylor c Cook b Broad 0
D.Brownlie c Cook b Anderson 5
B.McCullum lbw Broad 8
BJ Watling c Trott b Anderson 13
T.Southee c Root b Broad 7
N.Wagner run out 17
B.Martin b Broad 1
T.Bolt not out 0
Extras (lb-1) 1
Total (all out, 22.3 overs) 68
Fall of wickets: 1-1 2-16 3-16 4-21 5-25 6-29 7-41 8-54 9-67 10-68.
Bowling: Anderson 11.3-5-23-2, Broad 11-0-44-7.
Result: England won by 170 runs
England won the toss and elected to bat
