New Zealand rips out 4 England wickets in 11 balls as Lord's pitch remains vicious

If England was dismayed by the rapid demise of its middle order, it would also have been buoyed by how much the pitch was still acting up with New Zealand to bat in the fourth innings.

The home side looked as comfortable as it was possible to be on the pitch with opener Emilio Gay on 57 on debut and at the other end England’s all-time highest run-scorer Joe Root.

Then havoc ensued.

Gay edged behind to a good ball by Nathan Smith and the newcomer received hearty applause from the pavilion crowd.

Six balls later, Will O'Rourke started a new spell up the slope and pinned Harry Brook for a duck.

Smith started the next over and got Root lbw on 8 and three balls later took out Ben Stokes, who played inside the line and got his off stump clipped before he'd scored. Smith had 3-49.

From 126-2, England was 127-6. Jamie Smith, 31 off 34, and Gus Atkinson, the start of the tail, survived to tea.

England resumed after lunch on 72-1 and New Zealand was unlucky not to take a wicket in the first over of the afternoon session.

Gay, on 24, was hit on the front pad by Matt Henry and New Zealand didn't review. But video showed the ball hitting leg stump. In the same over, another nip-backer caught Bethell cold. Umpire Adrian Holdstock again kept his finger down. New Zealand reviewed this time, leg stump was hit, but the decision was umpire's call.

Bethell, still on 8, was dropped by Devon Conway at backward point. But Bethell's luck ran out on 14 when an unplayable daisy cutter by Henry shot under his bat and bowled him.

Gay soldiered on and reached his half-century off 84 balls. The first England opener to score a fifty on debut at home in 22 years was understated in his celebration with a couple of waves of his bat.

Gay was impressive in tough conditions, compact and patient with an old school fifty in England's Bazball era. He labored for 57 off 95 balls including eight boundaries.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket