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Ollie Robinson's Brilliant Comeback Seals England's Lord's Win Over New Zealand
11 Jun 2026, 3:38 pm
England Open WTC Campaign with a Gritty Lord's Victory
England marked the start of their new ICC World Test Championship cycle with a 115-run win over New Zealand at Lord's, completing the victory on the fourth day, June 7. It was a low, hard-fought Test played on a bowler-friendly surface that produced uneven bounce throughout and made batting an extreme challenge for both sides. England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and collected 12 valuable WTC points.
Robinson Returns in Style with Seven Wickets
The story of the match was Ollie Robinson's comeback to Test cricket after more than two years in the wilderness. On a green Lord's surface perfectly suited to his style, Robinson was relentless, picking up 5 for 39 in New Zealand's first innings and adding 2 for 38 in the second. His match figures of 7 for 77 were a career-best return and earned him the Player of the Match award ahead of his partner-in-crime Gus Atkinson. ""I know this is just the start,"" Robinson said after the match, clearly motivated by his time away from the side.
Atkinson Writes More Lord's History
Gus Atkinson continued his love affair with the home of cricket. His 5 for 30 in New Zealand's second innings was his fourth five-wicket haul at the ground, taking his career record there to an extraordinary 26 wickets at 9.50. He removed the final three New Zealand wickets on the final morning to wrap up the win with the home crowd still settling in.
England's Batting Struggles on a Difficult Pitch
England were bowled out for just 140 in their first innings, with Kyle Jamieson taking 5 for 62. Harry Brook's 56 was the only score of note. However, England fought back with the ball to bowl New Zealand out for 113, taking a 27-run lead. A second-innings 226 set New Zealand an unlikely target of 254 and the visitors, bowled out for 138, were never close to it.
Second Test at The Oval on June 17
England now face New Zealand at The Kia Oval on June 17 in the second Test, though the series has already been overshadowed by the Stokes nightclub crisis and uncertainty over who will captain the side.
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