It took until gone 5.30 for a moment to arrive to finally lift the English gloom. It had been a wet and wild start to the Test summer, rain and wickets tumbling to dull what was meant to be a bright new start to banish the Ashes woes. Bowled out for 140 inside 40 overs, the pessimistic chuntering around the hosts had long since begun by the time their last pair disappeared to the dressing room. Fresh English approach; same old story.
But on a pitch offering lavish movement, and in conditions to which he was ideally suited, in the space of six balls, Ollie Robinson provided a reminder of just why England have recalled him. For more than two years, Robinson had sat and wondered – wondered what might have been, wondered, perhaps, what he had done wrong. His qualities had never been in doubt; his application, fitness and attitude perhaps so. But with a winter of error and Australian top-order terror leaving a vacancy for someone of precisely his skillset, Robinson showed the high-class new-ball bowler he remains, to strike thrice in his first over and tilt a Test unlikely to go close to the distance and spare a few blushes.
There was not, in fact, much cause for embarrassment on what had nonetheless looked likely to prove a discouraging day for the hosts. The plain accounting of their collapse to 140 all out does not make pretty reading, but England were worn down by a relentless visiting New Zealand attack. For all the talk of a refinement in method from the hosts, this was not a day where poking and prodding or prancing and dancing made much difference – only Harry Brook (51) provided some sort of resistance, and he should have been gone for single figures.
The visiting bowling effort was made all the more impressive by the fact it came, largely, without attack-leader Matt Henry, capable of only four overs before leaving the field with a spasming back. Kyle Jamieson was the standout with 5-62, and found strong support from Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith, ensuring Henry was not missed.
It seemed certain they would be the story; Robinson ensured they were not. Probing and penetrating, he trapped left-handers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra in front with nip up the slope, either side of removing Kane Williamson, caught at short leg. Allow me to reintroduce myself, a celebratory spreading of the Sussex seamer’s arms seemed to say.
When Gus Atkinson pinned Tom Latham, 14 wickets had fallen in fewer than 50 opening-day overs – and more were to come. Robinson had time for one more, nipping one up the hill into the top of a leaving Daryl Mitchell’s off stump, and Josh Tongue got in on the act by shivering Tom Blundell’s timbers. When bad light halted play at 20 past seven, New Zealand were 61-6 and 79 in arrears. Rain may have its say again in this Test, but one can probably start making alternative plans for Sunday and Monday.
