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Returning captain Joe Root led a hastily rearranged England team to a solid start in the second Rothesay Test against New Zealand.
Root, back at the helm for the first time since March 2022 as a result of Ben Stokes’ removal from the squad, saw the tourists reach 75 for two at lunch after being sent in at the Kia Oval.
With Stokes absent pending the results of an investigation into his curfew-breaking night out, Root was leading a vastly different side from the one that won by 115 runs at Lord’s. In all there were three debutants, five changes and just one survivor, Josh Tongue, from the bowling attack that started the series.
A half-hour delay for rain and a hint of early morning cloud cover meant Root was always likely to follow the recent trend of inserting the opposition at this ground, handing the stage to his new-look seam unit.
Jofra Archer kicked things off at the Pavilion End on his comeback, with Matt Fisher sharing the new ball on his first appearance in over four years. It was the Surrey man who got England up and running, striking with possibly the worst delivery of a solid opening burst that saw just five runs from his five overs.
Dragging one down the leg side to Devon Conway, who completed a 23,000-mile round trip to Wellington to attend the birth of his child between games, he grazed the glove on the way through to newcomer James Rew behind the stumps. Rew was a late addition to the lineup, replacing another new father, Jamie Smith.
That was the only breakthrough in the opening 20 overs, with the surface quickly settling down. Tom Latham found his feet quickly but Henry Nicholls, replacing the retired great Kane Williamson at three, had a couple of nervy moments. Root called for DRS when Sonny Baker’s fifth ball snaked down leg, but replays showed it flicking pad instead of bat.
He was also close to being run out as Tongue attempted to kick down the stumps. Baker hit 88mph in a lively but fruitless start and it was Archer who picked up England’s second of the morning, squaring up Latham on 27 as Jacob Bethell dived for a fine catch at gully.