Ollie Robinson marked his first Test for more than two years with four wickets, including three in a sensational opening over, as New Zealand suffered a stunning collapse to 29 for six on the opening day of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday.
England had been dismissed for just 140 itself after losing the toss.
But that soon looked an imposing total, with the overcast conditions still in favour of the fast bowlers when New Zealand began its reply in the first of a three-Test series.
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 in what is the 150th Test at the London ground.
The 32-year-old seamer had Devon Conway leg-before-wicket with his third ball, and then removed Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra for ducks with the last two balls of his first over.
Key batter 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.
On the next ball, Ravindra was leg-before-wicket to Robinson, after being hit on the back leg.
Ravindra reviewed but the decision of Australian umpire Rod Tucker, who was standing in his 100th Test, was upheld.
Sussex captain 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 appearance at this level since February 2024.
Gus Atkinson then had New Zealand captain Tom Latham lbw.
Robinson struck again, bowling Daryl Mitchell for 12, as the paceman took a remarkable 4-10 in his first six overs.
Fast bowler Josh Tongue bowled Tom Blundell — the 16th wicket to fall on an astonishing first day — to leave New Zealand reeling at 29 for six in just 13 overs.
Matching Gower
Earlier, New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson took five for 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 batter 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 its woeful 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia concluded in January.
Gay, who was playing in place of dropped batter 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 (three for 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.
Brook, who was dropped early in his innings by Conway, pulled two fours before he was joined in the middle by England captain Ben Stokes.
But 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 had another reprieve, on 45, when Ravindra dropped a straightforward catch at midwicket
The batter completed a 64-ball fifty but Brook holed out soon afterwards before a last-wicket partnership of 22 between Tongue and Shoaib Bashir boosted England’s total.
Published on Jun 05, 2026
