Cricket: England earn parity at tea

Matt Henry celebrates taking the wicket of Ian Bell of England. Photo / Getty Images

A 161-run fifth-wicket partnership between Ben Stokes and Joe Root has given England parity at tea on the first day of the opening test against New Zealand at Lord's.

England recovered from early jitters at 30 for four to take the middle session, scoring 106 runs for the loss of one wicket. They finished at 219 for five. New Zealand also lost B-J Watling to a bruised knee for the session. Tom Latham took the gloves in his absence.

Stokes wicket was valuable. The New Zealand-born all-rounder fell eight runs short of a place on the ground's famed dressing room honours board.

Spinner Mark Craig already looked a dangerous prospect after four overs. He troubled Root from the start, including a close lbw shout, and was getting some prodigious turn and bounce. With the start of his fifth over, he used the slope towards the Pavilion End and got the ball to slide straight on. Stokes shouldered arms, playing for the spin, and lost his castle.

The all-rounder had demonstrated his capacity to punish, making 25 runs from two consecutive overs to go to 89.

Both Stokes and Root played an array of controlled strokes, particularly through the legside, as they came to grips with the pace of the pitch and the visitors' frenetic start. Root (80) benefited from playing late with soft hands, an example his top order teammates will have noted.

Jos Buttler (13) was the other not out batsman at the interval.

Earlier, Matt Henry became New Zealand test cricketer No.266 and removed Alastair Cook and Ian Bell in his opening spell to prove his worth.

Henry had trained in the Indian Premier League under the eye of New Zealand test captain Brendon McCullum at the Chennai Super Kings. He made the transition to the test game look effortless with the rhythm mustered taking two for 19 in five overs from the Nursery End. He went to tea with two for 63 from 15 overs.

Cook, Henry's maiden test wicket, tried hooking a ball towards Edgware Rd on 16. It wasn't an ideal delivery but Cook endeavoured to seize some respite after a demanding opening 10 overs after being sent in by McCullum on a Kermit-green wicket. He ended up constricted down the legside and B-J Watling took the catch.

Henry's best delivery came with a ball deviating slightly off the wicket to take the top of Ian Bell's off stump. The sea of bacon and egg ties in the pavilion watched wicket-to-wicket as he announced himself as a competitor to be respected on cricket's ultimate stage.

Tim Southee and Trent Boult also played important roles establishing early dominance. Each worked with the Lord's slope to earn their respective wickets. Importantly, knowing his three pace bowlers were coming from the IPL, McCullum never bowled them in spells of more than five overs.

Southee dismissed debutant Adam Lyth for one with a vintage delivery which drew the opener into a defensive stroke before the ball angled away. Lyth paused to see whether he should query but Cook wisely advised him to keep walking. A Hotspot edge wouldn't have helped the home cause.

Southee was in the action again at third slip catching Gary Ballance for one. Boult angled away to the left-hander from the Pavilion End and Balance's bat took a nibble.

McCullum's decision to field in the 100th test against England was warranted. It was a fine spring day to start but cloud cover built as they hoped to generate movement with the receptive Duke ball.

New Zealand are seeking their second win in 17 attempts at the St John's Wood ground.