How the First Day of the New Zealand-England Test Unfolded in Christchurch

On the back of Kane Williamson's batting brilliance, New Zealand ended the first day at 319/8. Opting to bat first after losing the toss at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, Tom Latham’s side faced stiff resistance from England's bowlers, with Shoaib Bashir grabbing four wickets on the opening day.

The early blow came when opener Devon Conway was dismissed for a duck by Gus Atkinson with the team score at just 4 runs. Captain Tom Latham followed soon after, scoring 47 before edging to Ollie Pope behind the stumps. Rachin Ravindra added 68 runs for the third wicket with Kane Williamson before departing for 34.

Momentum continued to shift as Daryl Mitchell and Kane Williamson both fell in quick succession. Williamson, heartbreakingly short of a century, was dismissed for 93 after hitting 10 boundaries, caught by Zak Crawley off Gus Atkinson’s delivery.

Following Tom Blundell’s departure, Glenn Phillips held one end firm, ensuring the team saw out the day. Despite Shoaib Bashir’s triple strike causing concerns of a collapse, Phillips, unbeaten on 41, and Tim Southee, not out on 10, steadied the innings to avoid a first-day all-out scenario.

For England, Shoaib Bashir led the attack with 4 wickets, while Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse chipped in with two wickets each.