ENG v NZ, 1st Test: Conway Holds Firm As New Zealand Reach 144/3 At Tea

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Debutant opener Devon Conway's unbeaten fifty was the cornerstone of New Zealand's 144-3 at tea on the first day of the first Test against England at Lord's on Wednesday after senior batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor both fell cheaply.

Conway was 71 not out, with fellow left-hander Henry Nicholls unbeaten on 10, in a match that saw the return of spectators to international cricket in England.

New Zealand had the better of the morning session to be 85-1 at lunch after Williamson won the toss.

But James Anderson, equalling retired former captain Alastair Cook's England record of 161 Test appearances, struck in the first over after the interval to remove star batsman Williamson for 13 as the runs dried up.

And fast bowler Robinson, who'd earlier dismissed Tom Latham, then had the 37-year-old Taylor lbw for 14.

Latham and Conway made a steady against England new-ball greats Anderson and Stuart Broad after Williamson won the toss.

Conway cover-drove Broad for a boundary and it needed Robinson, one of four fast bowlers in an attack lacking a specialist spinner, to make the breakthrough when he got Latham to play on for 23.

Willamson is renowned for playing the ball late but four balls after lunch he arguably delayed too long when he played on to Anderson.

His exit gave Anderson, already England's most successful bowler in Test history, his 615th wicket at this level.

And it meant the Lancashire swing king was now just seven shy of 1,000 wickets in all first-class cricket.

But the composed Conway completed an admirable fifty when he drove Broad for a a sixth four in 91 balls faced.

By contrast, Taylor fell to Robinson, one of two England debutant along with wicketkeeper James Bracey, when playing down the wrong line.

At tea, Robinson had fine figures of 2-25 in 11 overs.

England captain Joe Root bowled his occasional off-breaks, with left-arm spinner Jack Leach omitted, but got little response.

The crowd at the 'home of cricket' is limited to 6,500, after international matches during the 2020 English season were played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic.

This was New Zealand's first match at Lord's since an agonising Super Over loss to England in the 2019 World Cup final.

The Black Caps, who after this two-match series face India in the inaugural World Test Championship final, were without Trent Boult after the left-arm quick was granted family time in New Zealand following his stint in the Indian Premier League.