New Zealand v England first Test day four report and scorecard: England thump New Zealand

New Zealand v England: First Test scorecard

• England first innings: 325-9d (Brook 89, Duckett 84; Wagner 4-82)
• England second innings: 374 (Root 57, Brook 54, Foakes 51; Tickner 3-55)
• New Zealand first innings: 306 all out (Blundell 138, Conway 77; Robinson 4-54, Anderson 3-36)
• New Zealand second innings: 126 all out (Mitchell 57; Anderson 4-18, Broad 4-49)

England won by 267 runs

The result was in little doubt as play resumed on the fourth afternoon of this day/night game at Bay Oval, Stuart Broad having ripped the guts out of the top order with an electric four-wicket burst, but with Anderson on song the tourists wrapped it up with minimal fuss.

Anderson took four of the five wickets to fall, shredding the home side’s resistance in the opening session. New Zealand went from 63 for five overnight to 126 all out in exactly 100 minutes, with a last-wicket stand between Daryl Mitchell and Blair Tickner taking up more than half of that time.

In a week that Anderson and Broad became the most prolific partnership in Test history, nipping past Australian greats Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, it was fitting that England’s record wicket-taker took his share of the limelight.

Having ended 2022 with an unprecedented whitewash in Pakistan, England’s first outing of the new year was another resounding success that brought another cluster of milestones in its wake.

Stokes became the fastest ever English captain to oversee 10 victories, getting there in 12 games including a one-off in 2020 while deputising for Joe Root. Michael Vaughan was the previous standard bearer, taking 16 matches to hit double figures. Only Australian Lindsay Hassett, back in the early 1960s, has ever enjoyed such a charmed start to life as a Test leader.

And that is not all. This was also England’s first ever overseas win in a day/night Test, having previously banked five outright thrashings in Auckland, Adelaide (twice), Ahmedabad and Hobart, and a first of any kind in New Zealand for 15 years.

The hunt for victory began almost immediately, Jack Leach drawing the tamest of chips from all-rounder Michael Bracewell in the third over of the day. That shot, easily held by Harry Brook at short midwicket, set the tone a thoroughly flaccid resistance.

Anderson doubled down, striking with the fifth and sixth deliveries of the following order to find himself with two in two. Scott Kuggeleijn was easy prey, propping forward to one that kicked back in and had him lbw straight in front of middle, and home captain Tim Southee nicked to slip to end a regrettable game with a golden duck.

Anderson had ceded centre stage to Broad on the previous evening but rarely misses an opportunity to restate his class. He snapped up a third when Neil Wagner flashed a catch to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Broad searched in vain for a deserved fifth wicket as Mitchell, on his way to a solid 57 not out, kept the champagne on ice. In the end it took the return of Anderson to finish things off, claiming four for 18 as he snapped up Tickner.

Stokes hails England players

“As much as it is me captaining the side, the team obviously have to take a lot of credit for that, even more than myself,” said Stokes.

“I can only go out there and say ‘can we try this?’. They say yes, but they’ve then got to execute everything. Not only have I got an unbelievable bowling attack to be able to captain, but I’ve also got a seriously skilled and very brave batting line-up to watch. They’ve got to take a lot of credit for the sort of record I have as a captain.

“When I took over, I thought it would be a good opportunity for a slightly bigger change to the way the team thinks about playing Tests. But expectations just keep being blown out of the water by the performances, not only that the team are putting in but also certain individuals keep putting in over the last 10 to 11 months.”

Anderson and Broad both excelled at the Bay Oval, with the latter producing the defining spell of the match under floodlights on night three and his partner finishing the job the next day. Over the course of the week they also moved past Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne as the most prolific partnership in Test history, with a running total of 1,009 scalps.

“I think having James Anderson and Stuart Broad in the side makes captaincy a lot easier. You just throw them the ball and away they go,” added Stokes.

“They’re setting a great example not only for us in the dressing room but for anybody who wants to have a long career in professional sport. Seeing them running in with three lions on their chest is great and I don’t really want to think too far ahead to when they might call time on their careers.”