New Zealand v England - First Test

Eden Park, Auckland

NZL: GM Turner, MH Richardson, BE Congdon, MD Crowe, *JR Reid, JV Coney, RJ Hadlee, +KJ Wadsworth, BR Taylor, SL Boock, EJ Chatfield.
ENG: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, WR Hammond, KF Barrington, MC Cowdrey, AW Greig, +LEG Ames, JC Laker, FS Trueman, JA Snow, JB Statham.

Debuts: LEG Ames & JA Snow (ENG)
Umpires: RS Dunne & DB Cowie
Toss: New Zealand

England entered this match as strong favourites, and despite taking the field without three of their four most capped ATG players (Knott, Compton and Bedser), they quickly took command as New Zealand's batting faltered on the first day. Only Mark Richardson (51) mounted any real resistance as England bowled and fielded exceptionally well on a slow and low Eden Park wicket, and by the end of day one the hosts had been knocked over for 190, with Jim Laker claiming 6-50, his best ATG figures.

England began their reply confidently and took their total to 158-1 before New Zealand struck back in the final session of the second day, which finished with the tourists on 228-5 and a lead of 38. Crucially though, Hobbs had been able to bat out the day on his way to the fourteenth century of his ATG career, and in the company of debutant Les Ames he helped take the game away from the Black Caps on an excellent third day for the tourists.

Ames had been brought into the team as a result of Alan Knott's lack of runs, and the selectors' faith was repaid on day three as he powered his way to 94 off just 134 balls before falling lbw to Boock despite a big inside edge onto the pad. Ames had become one of nine lbw victims despatched by umpire Cowie over the course of the match (correspondingly, Steve Dunne gave only one lbw decision), but despite falling agonizingly close to a debut century, his partnership of 126 with Hobbs had been crucial.

Hobbs himself had fallen earlier for a rock-like 161, also to Boock, and with Laker adding a jaunty 40 England progressed to 415 and a lead of 225 before their innings closed shortly before tea on the third day. Boock finished with the admirable figures of 7-121, the second best return in New Zealand's history behind his own 8-67, also against England, but truth be told he had bowled nowhere near as well as Laker, and it was to be England's off spinner who was to prove New Zealand's undoing again as they batted for a second time.

Richardson and Crowe took New Zealand to 68-2 at stumps on day three after Trueman had dismissed both Turner and Congdon cheaply, but after Crowe gave his wicket away for 54, caught on the long off boundary by Statham off Laker, the Black Caps' resistance crumbled amidst an insipidly inept batting display. The innings slipped from 117-3 to 156-9 as Laker ran through the middle order and tail, and although the second valiant last wicket stand of the match from Taylor and Chatfield held up the inevitable for some little time, Laker eventually picked up his second six wicket haul of the game when he removed Chatfield, and England had won by an innings with over a day to spare.

New Zealand's performance had verged on the downright embarrassing - England could afford to drop three catches in their second innings - and one would hope for a return of the traditional Kiwi spirit in time for the second Test. Laker's match return of 12-89 is the best by any English bowler in ATG Tests, but Hobbs' century gained him the man of the match award, made as it was on a pitch whose bounce became more erratic as the match went on, and one would imagine that it is unlikely to be his last of what has the makings of a very one-sided series.

Scores
NZL 1st Inns 190 (Richardson 51; Laker 6-50)
ENG 1st Inns 415 (Hobbs 161, Ames 94, Hammond 40, Laker 40; Boock 7-121)
NZL 2nd Inns 188 (Crowe 54, Richardson 46; Laker 6-39)

ENGLAND WON BY AN INNINGS & 37 RUNS

Man of the Match: JB Hobbs