Bashir takes four as England chip away at NZ

First Test, Christchurch (day 1 of five)

New Zealand 319-8: Williamson 93, Latham 47; Bashir 4-69

England: Yet to bat

Scorecard

Shoaib Bashir led England with 4 wickets arsenic the tourists chipped distant astatine the New Zealand batting connected the opening time of the archetypal Test successful Christchurch.

Opting to tract archetypal connected a greenish transportation that played true, England battled a stiff breeze and the brilliance of Kane Williamson, whose 93 formed the backbone of the location side's 319-8.

Williamson shared half-century partnerships with each of Tom Latham, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell, but the Black Caps were blameworthy of gifting wickets with escaped strokes.

Williamson was culpable, cutting a Gus Atkinson abbreviated shot to Zak Crawley erstwhile a period was astatine his mercy.

The Williamson wicket opened the doorway for England and Bashir took advantage.

The off-spinner accounted for Tom Blundell and Nathan Smith, past ended a accelerated eighth-wicket concern of 46 erstwhile Matt Henry was caught astatine long-on.

Glenn Phillips, dropped connected nought by diving England skipper Ben Stokes, remains unbeaten connected 41.

This opening time was everything the bid promised: keenly fought, choky and fluctuating.

Set against the backdrop of the beauteous Hagley Oval, its writer banks bursting with spectators, it was hard to ideate a much cleanable mounting for Test cricket.

Stokes, successful the metropolis of his birth, amazed nary 1 erstwhile helium chose to field. Despite the sunshine, Latham said helium would person done the same, conscionable arsenic 12 captains successful the erstwhile 13 Tests astatine this crushed person done.

Whether England failed to get the shot successful the close spot often enough, oregon the transportation did not bash its portion is up for debate, but determination seemed nary evident demons for the batters to battle.

England threatened successful peaks and troughs. Their fielding was sometimes sloppy - they failed to reappraisal Ravindra's borderline disconnected Stokes erstwhile helium had 20 and the skipper's driblet of Phillips is increasing successful importance. The tourists gave distant 21 runs successful wides and no-balls.

Despite each of that, they hung in. Ollie Pope, lasting successful down the stumps, went unnoticed and Stokes conjured the short-ball tactics. Most importantly Bashir, aft a disappointing circuit of Pakistan, emerged arsenic a wicket-taking menace by slowing his pace.

The anticipation is this transportation volition get amended for batting. England tin consciousness satisfied with their work, adjacent if the unsafe Phillips could yet deed New Zealand to a precise beardown total.

Atkinson has had a stellar archetypal twelvemonth successful Test cricket, chap gait bowler Brydon Carse has been the find of England's wintertime and nary bowler successful the satellite has sent down much deliveries successful Tests than Bashir since helium made his astonishment debut successful January.

Between them, they combined to enactment done the Black Caps, helped by Stokes being backmost to his champion arsenic captain. The skipper struggled during the 2-1 decision successful Pakistan and apologised to the players earlier this circuit began.

While Atkinson and Carse took a wicket each erstwhile the shot was new, their toil was overmuch harder erstwhile the shot got soft. On the dilatory pitch, their bouncers were hard for batters to control, starring to the errors from Williamson and Mitchell.

Given the conditions, Bashir could person been a peripheral figure. The wicket of Ravindra was a bonus and Bashir bowled excessively galore abbreviated balls, but the scalps of Blundell and debutant Smith were genuine. The erstwhile pushed to point, the second turned to limb slip.

Chris Woakes was ineffective and Stokes took clip to find his rhythm. The skipper had Phillips caught down the limb broadside for nine, lone for the determination to beryllium overturned. Jacob Bethell marked his archetypal time arsenic a Test cricketer by bowling 1 over.

Phillips and Henry attacked the tiring onslaught precocious successful the day, truthful Bashir was summoned erstwhile more. Ben Duckett, astatine long-on, was waiting to clasp Henry's loft down the ground.

Williamson missed New Zealand's historical 3-0 triumph successful India with a groin injury, yet New Zealand's champion subordinate was ever going to travel consecutive backmost into the team, adjacent if it was astatine the disbursal of player-of-the-series Will Young.

He was successful the mediate aft lone 2 overs, erstwhile Atkinson took a crisp drawback successful his follow-through to clasp connected to Devon Conway's careless drive.

Williamson took 14 balls to get disconnected the mark, supporting the fluent Latham. After Latham played crossed Carse to borderline down for 47, Williamson took charge.

Adapting to the slowness of the pitch, helium played nary of his trademark dabs to 3rd man, alternatively pouncing to whip done the limb broadside immoderate clip England dropped short.

Ravindra wasted his start, fetching Bashir's afloat flip to mid-wicket connected 34, Mitchell fell into Carse's bouncer trap with an edged propulsion to 3rd antheral connected 19.

Atkinson picked up the short-ball plan, though Williamson was successful power until his astonishing slap to point. New Zealand mislaid 3 wickets for 25 runs earlier Phillips' counter-attack.