Well, if England go on to win this decider and ease the crisis triggered by Stokes\u2019s late night after Lord\u2019s<\/a>, it may well top the lot. Because at the end of a baking hot first day, New Zealand having racked up a 361 for four with centuries from Tom Latham and Devon Conway, the hosts were already in strife.<\/p>\n That strife had eased a fraction before the close, at least, courtesy of late strikes from Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer with the second new ball. Rachin Ravindra rewarded the former\u2019s efforts with a poor top-edged pull , while Archer wiped out Henry Nicholls for 36 with a snorter that tickled the edge.<\/p>\n But it was clearly a day of toil in the main. While the pitch was a heartbreaker for the bowlers \u2013 a symptom of the heatwave \u2013 there were already some signs of it breaking up. Batting last, which England are due to do, is unlikely to be as enjoyable as Latham and Conway found it.<\/p>\n Their 317-run stand was a record for a New Zealand opening pair in \u00adEngland, passing the 185 John Wright and Trevor Franklin amassed at Lord\u2019s in 1990. Latham was in princely form from the outset en route to 151. Conway turned a scratchy start into 157 with some brutality after tea.<\/p>\n More ominous was the fact that the last time a pair of visiting \u00adopeners went past 300 \u2013 South Africa\u2019s Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs putting on 338 at Edgbaston in 2003 \u2013 it persuaded Nasser Hussain that his time as England captain was up. Notably, Stokes has declined to commit to \u00adanything beyond this Test.<\/p>\n Chances were few and far between during the 72 overs Latham and Conway stitched together in punishing fashion. But to the frustration of a sellout crowd that was similarly battling the heat, a couple did come England\u2019s way.<\/p>\n The most telling was in the afternoon when Conway, on 71, propped forward to Shoaib Bashir and a stifled appeal for lbw followed. Everyone believed there was an inside edge and the notion of a review was quickly dismissed, only for replays to show the ball struck Conway\u2019s pad first and was going to hit the stumps.<\/p>\n Tom Latham and Devon Conway shared an opening partnership of 317, New Zealand\u2019s highest in a Test in England. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PA<\/p>\n The more galling one came after tea, however, when Jamie Smith dropped a clanger on his return behind the stumps to hand Latham a life on 129. Atkinson, back from his own Rex Rooms-related absence, had managed to coax a leg-side strangle, only for Smith to meet it with crocodile hands.<\/p>\n It needed Stokes to produce the precious breakthrough, finding some extra energy to tease a tired waft behind from Latham that allowed Smith to atone. With Conway holing out to Joe Root\u2019s tweakers in the next over, it set the stage for England\u2019s late\u00a0fightback.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/500.jpg\")
<\/p>\n