England defeated New Zealand by 115 runs on day four of the first Test at Lord's on June 7, 2026, successfully launching their post-Ashes rebuilding phase.
The tourists were bowled out for 138 runs in 40.3 overs while chasing a target of 254 runs.
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Fast bowler Gus Atkinson sealed the win by dismissing Matt Henry, finishing with impressive second-innings figures of 5-30.
New Zealand resumed their second innings at 55-5 but quickly lost Tom Blundell for four runs when Josh Tongue trapped him lbw.
A 53-run partnership between Glenn Phillips, who scored 44, and Devon Conway, who made 41, briefly halted England's progress before Ben Stokes broke the stand.
The pitch conditions at Lord's faced criticism throughout the match due to uneven bounce that troubled batsmen. Sky Sports analyst Nasser Hussain described the surface as "substandard."
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The match also featured the successful return of Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson, who claimed seven wickets in the match after being away from the national team since early 2024.
Debutant opening batter Emilio Gay contributed a crucial 57 runs in the second innings, the highest individual score of the match.
New Zealand missed multiple opportunities, including five dropped catches across both of England's innings and a failure to review an lbw decision against Gay when he was on 24 runs.
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The second Test of the three-match series is scheduled to begin at The Kia Oval on Wednesday, June 17, followed by the final Test at Trent Bridge on Thursday, June 25.
