ENG vs NZ: Stokes not happy with Lord's pitch
What's the story
England captain Ben Stokes has slammed the Lord's pitch as "not ideal" for Test cricket. The criticism came after his team defeated New Zealand by 115 runs in a match marred by inconsistent bounce. The game saw just 996 balls bowled across four innings, the fewest for a completed Test at Lord's since 1888. Here are further details.
Pitch concerns
Players have lost the ability to dig in: Stokes
Stokes, who is a staunch advocate of Test cricket, said the inconsistent nature of the pitch was not ideal. He said, "It's not just the case that players have lost the ability to dig in." "Wickets falling, balls flying everywhere... with 16 wickets and 200 runs being scored, it's a good day out. "But it was an inconsistent pitch. As someone who believes Test cricket is the best format and should never disappear, that is not ideal." New Zealand captain Tom Latham also expressed surprise at how the wicket played but acknowledged both teams faced same conditions.
Criticism from ex-captains
Hussain, Vaughan critical of Lord's pitch
Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan were also critical of the pitch quality at Lord's. Hussain said nothing is worse than up-and-down bounce for a batter, while Vaughan suggested a more radical approach may be needed to address the issue. He proposed digging up the square pitch-by-pitch during winters as a potential solution.
MCC response
MCC chief promises action will be taken quickly
Rob Lawson, the secretary and chief executive of Lord's owners Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), admitted the pitch fell short of expectations. He blamed unusually high temperatures in May and heavy rain leading up to the match for its sub-standard condition. Lawson promised action would be taken quickly as there are more matches scheduled at Lord's this season including a women's Test between England and India next month.
Summary
How did the game pan out?
NZ reduced England to 55/5 after electing to field. Harry Brook's counter-attacking 56 powered England, who managed 140. Kyle Jamieson took five wickets. NZ then folded for 113, with a returning Ollie Robinson taking a fifer. England consolidated their first-innings lead despite facing a middle-order collapse. Emilio Gay's fine fifty meant they reached 226. The Kiwis failed to chase down 254 and perished for 138 on Day 4.