New Zealand stifle England on first day

LONDON (AFP) –

England’s Jonathan Trott (R) plays a shot during the opening day of the first Test cricket match between England and New Zealand at Lord’s cricket ground in London, on May 16, 2013.

New Zealand took charge of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday, reducing England to 160 for four when rain forced an early close to the opening day.

England captain Alastair Cook won the toss and batted but his side rarely got out of first gear in the face of some accurate bowling by the tourists.

Trent Boult was the pick of the attack, removing both Cook and Jonathan Trott after lunch on his way to an economical return of two wickets for 29 runs in 17 overs.

Fellow left-arm seamer Neil Wagner then dismissed Ian Bell for 31 in the final session.

At stumps, the inexperienced Yorkshire duo of Joe Root (25 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (three not out) were at the crease.

New Zealand’s Trent Boult celebrates the dismissal of England’s Jonathan Trott for 39 runs during the first day of the first Test at Lord’s cricket ground in London, on May 16, 2013.

England’s plight would have been worse had not Trott, who made a painstaking 39, been dropped by Bruce Martin off his own bowling when on nought.

New Zealand bowled 30 maidens in 80 overs on Thursday — a testament to their accuracy and the inability of an England top-order missing the injured Kevin Pietersen to hit them out of their stride.

“They didn’t really look to dominate us in a way,” Boult told reporters after stumps. “They are good batsmen and I expect them to respect good balls.

“I guess we made them respect a lot more good balls than they should have,” Boult, one of eight New Zealand players appearing in their first Test at Lord’s, added.

Although blue skies overhead on a sunny day promised ideal conditions for batting, an outfield relaid after the Olympic archery tournament at Lord’s last year prevented several well-struck shots getting to the boundary.

“It was tough, it was not what you expect the first day at Lord’s,” Trott said. “The pitch was a lot slower than the batsmen were used to and the relaid outfield, the ball is ‘stopping’ going down the hill.”

However, Trott insisted it was still possible for England to establish a total that would prove tough for New Zealand’s fallible top-order to match.

New Zealand’s Tim Southee bowls during the first day of the first Test against England at Lord’s in London, on May 16, 2013.

“We’ve spoken about our first innings and setting up the game. I still think there’s potential to set up the game well with the batsmen that are in. I’m sure our bowlers can extract similar things (from the pitch).”

England got off to a slow start, managing just two boundaries in the morning session.

New Zealand reeled off four consecutive maidens, including one from Bruce Martin before the left-arm spinner floated a delivery up to Compton who, miscued and was well caught off the edge by Tim Southee, running back at point for 16.

And 43 for one should have become 48 for two when the 33-year-old Martin, in only his fourth Test and first outside New Zealand, had Trott driving early but dropped the caught and bowled chance.

At lunch, England were 56 for one with left-hander Cook 30 not out and Trott unbeaten on four.

Cook was still on his interval score when he survived an lbw appeal from Boult.

But Boult had his revenge soon afterwards when Cook, on 32, edged defensively at a full length ball and wicket-keeper BJ Watling took a low diving catch to leave England 67 for two.

Trott — who took 18 balls to get off the mark — exited shortly before tea when he edged Boult and third slip Dean Brownlie, diving in front of second slip, held an excellent catch.

Trott’s 39 took him 96 balls, with England 112 for three.

Bell, a Warwickshire colleague of Trott, was even more becalmed, his 31 taking 133 balls. His innings ended when he followed a delivery slanted across him from Wagner and was caught behind.

England made just one change from the side that drew the third Test against New Zealand at Auckland in March.

New Zealand were unchanged, having come desperately close to taking the match and series in Auckland only for England to cling on to a draw with one wicket left thanks mainly to wicket-keeper Matt Prior’s unbeaten hundred.