For the first hour of play, the match looked to be heading the way many had feared. New Zealand bowled. New Zealand took early wickets. New Zealand looked relentless.
New Zealand are fast emerging as the most exciting team in Test cricket. Fearless captaincy, skilful bowling and explosive batting. They are positive throughout. England are not. Apparently.
However, through Joe Root and Ben Stokes, England may have begun to change public perception. Much has been made of England needing to play an attacking brand of cricket. Here at Lords, they did.
Anyone who saw Ben Stokes bat in Perth will have used that match as proof of his worth to England's future. Through failures and broken lockers, they will have been relentless. Now, they have further proof. This innings was on par, if not better, than the Perth effort.
The Perth century was a high point in one of England's lowest tours. The negativity following the tour is still emanating around English cricket. Stokes came in at 30-4 with Boult and Southee swinging the ball so much so that they seemingly threatened to bowl the first ever boomerang delivery. On top of this, Matt Henry was bowling with impressive pace on his Test match debut.
All set up for Stokes to dig his heels in grind out a solid innings against his homeland. Right? Wrong. The Christchurch-born left-hander was busy at the crease and together with Root took the fight to the Blackcaps. They bought up a 50-run partnership in just 46 deliveries.
Stokes was unflustered throughout. Anything outside off-stump was dispatched with authority through the covers. Anything too straight was whipped past mid-on. Anything short was dismissed with disdain. The ball stopped swinging round corners and instead thudded into advertising boards.
Much has been written about Joe Root in recent times. Plaudits will follow the Yorkshire right-hander throughout his career. When he strode to the crease and dispatched his second-ball through the cover for four, those watching will have felt at ease. Death, taxes and Joe Root runs. All seem inevitable these days.
The duo combined for a match-altering 161-run partnership. For once, Brendon McCullum didn't have a quirky field or aggressive move up his sleeve to contain the pair.
Both failed to reach a deserved century. Stokes had looked assured and set for a century until he shouldered arms to a straight delivery from off-spinner Mark Craig for 92. In many ways, Stokes has now arrived on the international stage. He has had his extraordinary introduction, he's had his struggles and now he has played an innings of immaculate maturity.
Root, too. It says a lot about Stokes' innings and Root's remarkable consistency that there won't be much written about Joe Root's superb 98. A rare lapse in concentration cost Root as he feathered a small edge to stand-in keeper Tom Latham whilst attempting to cut Matt Henry.
The positive partnership wasn't the final one of the day as Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali combined to keep the pressure firmly on New Zealand. Fortunately, Root and Buttler combined for a partnership of 60 before Ali arrived at the crease thus giving England the luxury of not having two new batsman.
Ali, batting as low as number eight, struck eight fours in an impressive 49*. When on song, Ali makes batting look like art. A wizard performing a spell of unbridled love.
At the other end, Buttler was grinding out runs. Originally pigeonholed as a limited-overs specialist, Buttler showed restraint in his game as he refused to give New Zealand the opening they desperately craved as both Stokes and Root departed. Buttler frustrated New Zealand. Until the last ball of the day.
Deep square-leg was dropped back to the boundary. Short ball. Double bluff. The ball, full and straight, slammed into Buttler's pads. Plumb. Trent Boult had given New Zealand the perfect end to the day that they had started so well.
Tim Southee took the first wicket as debutant Adam Lyth pressed forward and the tiniest of edges flew through to 'keeper BJ Watling to send the left-hander back for 7.
Ballance was next, caught at third slip attempting to drive Boult. Ballance has started his international career exceptionally. Yet, in his last eight tests he hasn't faced a bowler with a bowling average under 30. Against two of the world's best with two left-handed opening batsman ahead of him, he will be tested to the edges of his ability.
25-2 quickly became 25-3 as Alastair Cook became Matt Henry's first Test wicket. Often starved of short bowling due to his weakness against a full-pitched delivery, Cook attempted to hook a rare short delivery, only to glove down the legside to a limping Watling, who would shortly be replaced by Tom Latham behind the stumps.
Not content with the wicket of the England captain, Henry bowled the ball any young cricketer dreams of bowling at Lords. Full, angled in to the right-hander, pitching, straightening before flattening off-stump. Ian Bell was the unfortunate batsman who could have faced the same ball 1000 times and been dismissed 999 times.
New Zealand had England 30-4. New Zealand have often had sides 30-4 in recent times and steamrolled them. 320 runs, and three half-century plus scores from England's youngest trio had left them in a position they are scarcely in; behind the game.
