Four-wicket Robinson rocks New Zealand in 1st Test after England collapse
Ollie Robinson marked his first Test for more than two years with four wickets, including three in a sensational opening over, as New Zealand slumped to 61-6 before bad light cut short the first day's play at Lord's on Thursday.
This is the 150th Test at Lord's and rarely in the long history of the London ground can the first day have been quite so dramatic, with 16 wickets in total falling before stumps.
Recalled Sussex seamer Robinson had remarkable figures of four wickets for 10 runs in just six overs at the close.
England led by 79 runs at stumps despite being dismissed for just 140 themselves after losing the toss.
Batsmen on both sides struggled in the overcast, bowler-friendly conditions, with even New Zealand great Kane Williamson, blessed with one of the best defensive techniques of his generation, falling for nought to Robinson.
Robinson, bowling the second over of the innings, took three wickets for no runs in four balls to leave New Zealand reeling at 2-3, with the normally reserved Lord's crowd chanting his name.
The 32-year-old had Devon Conway lbw with his third ball and then removed Williamson and Rachin Ravindra for ducks with the last two balls of his first over.
Williamson, in what could be the 35-year-old's last appearance at Lord's, was caught off bat and pad as the ball lobbed gently to short leg.
Ravindra was then lbw to Robinson, after being hit on the back leg.
His review failed to overturn the decision of Australian umpire Rod Tucker, who was standing in his 100th Test.
Robinson's previous 20 Tests had yielded 76 wickets at an impressive average of under 23 apiece.
But doubts about his stamina and attitude, if not his skill, meant that this was his first Test since February 2024.
Gus Atkinson then had New Zealand captain Tom Latham lbw.
Robinson struck again, bowling Daryl Mitchell for 12.
Fast bowler Josh Tongue bowled Tom Blundell to leave New Zealand reeling at 29-6 in just 13 overs.
Glenn Phillips (31 not out) and Nathan Smith prevented further collapse before bad light curtailed play despite the floodlights being switched on.
- Matching Gower -
Earlier, New Zealand's Kyle Jamieson took 5-62 in 14 overs -- the sixth five-wicket haul of the towering 31-year-old fast bowler's 20-Test career.
Harry Brook, with 56, was the lone England batsman to offer meaningful resistance and he was dropped twice during an otherwise impressive New Zealand fielding display.
New Zealand's pacemen made England suffer, even though Matt Henry, who was passed fit following a hamstring strain, only managed four overs before leaving the field.
Debutant opener Emilio Gay was out for eight, while Joe Root and Jamie Smith both scored just one run apiece in England's first Test since their woeful 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia concluded in January.
Gay, who was playing in place of dropped batsman Zak Crawley, emulated England great David Gower by hitting his first ball in Test cricket for four before edging Jamieson to Mitchell in the slips.
Will O'Rourke (3-38) captured the key wicket of Root before Smith was bowled playing no shot by a Jamieson ball that cut back and knocked out his off stump.
England captain Ben Stokes, on his 35th birthday, fell for 12 when an edge off Jamieson was superbly caught low and one-handed by Williamson, diving in front of first slip.
Brook, who was dropped early in his innings had another reprieve, on 45, when Ravindra floored a straightforward catch at midwicket
The batsman completed a 64-ball fifty but holed out soon afterwards before a last-wicket partnership of 22 between Tongue and Shoaib Bashir boosted England's total.
L.A. Beltran--LGdM
