Michael Bracewell's wicket was the beginning of the end for the Black Caps. Photo / photosport.nz
The Black Caps are at risk of losing their first home test series in six years after folding meekly against England.
Requiring one of the great rearguards to have a hope in the first test at Bay Oval, New Zealand lost their last five wickets for 63 runs today as England completed a 267-run win well inside four days.
The result wasn’t overly surprising - Brendon McCullum’s revitalised team were pre-match favourites after claiming nine of their last 10 tests, while the hosts were without a victory in six.
But the margin raised eyebrows, given the Black Caps were in their own conditions, and for much of the opening three days were at least competitive without ever seizing control.
Gary Stead’s side, however, are hardly untouchable at home - last summer losing tests in drawn series with Bangladesh and South Africa - and this understrength unit was undone by a horror show against the pink ball on the third night.
After letting England’s second innings escape them, New Zealand had been set an improbable 394 runs for victory.
That task became insurmountable after the top order were unable to handle the lethal pink weapon flying from Stuart Broad’s imperious right hand, the 36-year-old bowling out four of the top six to finish the session with 4-21.
And there was scant resistance on the fourth afternoon as England easily wrapped up the lower order to earn their first test victory in New Zealand since 2008.
That triumph came during Tim Southee’s debut, while this result marred his first test at home since succeeding Kane Williamson as skipper.
Southee in the summer began his reign earlier with a 0-0 drawn series in Pakistan, during which his charges had good opportunities to emerge with two victories. They had their chances at Mount Maunganui, too, but weren’t helped by the late withdrawals of Kyle Jamieson (injury) and Matt Henry (paternal leave).
The arrival of Henry’s first child will almost certainly see the seamer return for the second test at the Basin Reserve, starting on Friday, when the Black Caps must upset the rampant tourists to square the two-match series.
Watch every match of the BlackCaps v England series live on Spark Sport
New Zealand’s last series defeat at home came in 2017 against South Africa, after which they began an enviable run in familiar conditions that formed the bedrock of their world championship.
That conquest feels an increasingly distant memory now the winless run - which included a 3-0 sweep in England during McCullum’s first engagement as coach - has extended to seven.
Missing from the world-beating team at Bay Oval were Jamieson, retired pair Ross Taylor and BJ Watling, and Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme, who last year opted out of their central contracts.
The omission of Boult from the current squad caused particular rancour among fans on the eve of the first test, given the veteran was fit and had the feet up just down the road.
But his inclusion would have done nothing to assist an established top order whose failures in this match - setting aside Devon Conway’s first-innings 77 - put their team in a losing position.
After that group’s nightmare under lights, the Black Caps resumed today on 63-5 in yet more sunny conditions, the partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell at 35.
The last flicker of hope was summarily extinguished with a dreadful shot from Bracewell in the third over, lamely flicking Jack Leach to midwicket to continue his test struggles against spin.
The fourth over, bowled by James Anderson, produced two further nails in an already well-sealed coffin, with debutant Scott Kuggeleijn trapped plumb and Southee coming and going for a golden duck after edging tentatively to slip.
That gave Anderson 250 wickets overseas and gave the tail a bit of work if they wished to prevent the record books from being opened.
Neil Wagner added nine before giving Anderson a third, while Mitchell at least showed some fight to surpass 50 for the 10th time in 15 tests.
The Black Caps’ fight ended when Anderson bowled out another debutant in Blair Tickner to end a 35-run 10th-wicket stand, the home team’s second-best partnership in a second innings to forget.
If not a knockout victory for England, whose Harry Brook was named player of the match, then certainly a unanimous decision.