A dream start to the era of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum gave cause for optimism as the old guard, backed by newcomer Matthew Potts, got the new regime flying again before a familiar batting collapse highlighted just how much work remained. remains to be done to change England’s test fortunes
It was the kind of morning England could only have dreamed of.
For all the talk of a new era, a bright new dawn under the exciting leadership duo of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, England remain a side with just one win from their last 17 Test matches.
So when the wickets fell in the first hour, Test world champions New Zealand cut to 12-4 before ‘recovering’ for 39-6 at lunch, the sense of mild disbelief around Lord’s was completely understandable.
So was the nagging feeling that it was all too good to be true.
Standout performances have been a feature of both Stokes and McCullum throughout their playing careers, but the accepted consensus was that improving England’s fortunes in red-ball cricket would be a gradual process.
One session doesn’t change that, of course, but don’t underestimate the value of making such a start and showing that you can assert yourself and dominate one of the major sides on the planet.
For a team that has lost confidence in the last 18 months, anything that can help maintain the feel-good factor that has been evident since the recent appointments were made is welcome.
However, despite all the good work put in on the field, the day ended with a ‘here we go again’ feeling as a batting collapse saw the home team fall from 59-0 to 100-7. Some habits are hard to break.
Back to earth with a bang and the scale of the task facing McCullum and Stokes comes into sharp focus.
Go back to the morning session and it was the old guard that made sure the new regime got off to the best possible start, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, with the help of Jonny Bairstow in the third slip, did the damage to dismantle the top of the Black Caps. organize.
But even as England’s familiar duo of new players did their thing, the signs of change were evident. The sliding cordon was packed, no fielder in cover, let alone sweeping at the offside line. The plan was clear: attract unity.
Just as important, Anderson and Broad agreed to the plan, threw the ball out and risked conceding a cap to increase their chances of finding the rim. Such was its precision, those limits were rare in the extreme. In fact, Anderson finished his opening spell of six overs going 2-4 with five maidens.
A tough act to follow, you’d think. Well, not for Matthew Potts. The debutant needed just five balls to claim prized ground from Kane Williamson and proceeded to take 4-13 from 9.2 overs, bowling with impressive control and skill.
He pinched the ball both ways off the seam, wrung a good rebound from the surface and generally made life uncomfortable for opposition batsmen before a cramp attack denied him the opportunity to complete a five-for-two.
Stokes’ bowlers were making his life a lot easier, but he too deserves credit for keeping his nerves in check when New Zealand went on the offensive after lunch. He kept his receivers inside, urging his pitchers to stick with the plan that had put them in such a good position, and though the lower order frustrated them for a while, there was never a sense of panic.
There was clarity in the captaincy, skilful bowling from old and new and the catch was flawless.
Those were the big positives of the first day of the Stokes-McCullum era and they shouldn’t be forgotten. Even on a day when batting misses left an ominous cloud hanging over England’s bright new dawn.
