ENG vs NZ Live Score, 1st Test 2026: Harry Brook departs after fifty as England slump to eight down

New Zealand strike early in the second session. Joe Root is in at number 4.

Nathan Smith to Ben Duckett, OUT! LBW! With Duckett walking back, both the English openers are back in the dressing room now. Smith bowls this around that nagging length, on middle and shapes it back into the batter. Ben Duckett gets beaten by the seam movement on offer and the ball brushes the front pad before hitting the flap of the back pad. A loud appeal by the visitors and the umpire raises his finger. Ben Duckett has a lengthy chat with Jacob at the other end, but he eventually decides not to refer this upstairs. The Ball Tracking later shows that it is three reds with the ball crashing into the leg pole.

Nathan Smith to Ben Duckett, FOUR! This is the Ben Duckett that the English supporters are used to seeing. Back of a length, around off, Ben Duckett rides the bounce and punches this off his back foot. Opens the face of his bat to place this in the gap through point for four runs.

Nathan Smith to Ben Duckett, Right in the channel from Smith, on off, on a good length. Ben Duckett punches this firmly towards covers.

Mel Jones informs on air that Matt Henry suffered back spasms during his stint with the ball and has left the field. Henry will be monitored throughout the remainder of the day to assess whether he can return to the action. It will be Nathan Smith to operate from the other end.

Will O'Rourke to Jacob Bethell, A wayward delivery by the tall pacer from NZ. Bouncer, wide outside off, Jacob doesn't offer any stroke at it. 

Will O'Rourke to Jacob Bethell, Back of a length, around middle and leg. Jacob Bethell does well to push this wide to the right of the fielder at short leg for a dot.

Will O'Rourke to Jacob Bethell, Hard length, around off, Jacob Bethell gets right behind the line of the ball and keeps it out.

Will O'Rourke to Ben Duckett, Pitched-up delivery, around off, Ben Duckett plays a front foot punch that sneaks past the diving extra cover fielder to his right and the batters run three.

Will O'Rourke to Ben Duckett, Good length, wide of off, Ben Duckett takes a half-step towards the pitch of the ball and offers no stroke at it in the end.

Will O'Rourke to Ben Duckett, Will starts the post-Lunch session with a short one, around off. Ben Duckett gets lured into pushing at it away from his body but gets beaten on the outside edge.

We are all set for the resumption. The sun is shining in all its glory over Lord's and, let's hope it stays that way. The two umpires and players have made their way out to the centre. Will O'Rourke will steam in first up. Ben Duckett is on strike. Three slips and a gully in place. Let's go...

Game stopped due to : Wet Ground Condition

12.30 pm GMT - Official word is in. There are still a couple of areas around the edge of the square receiving attention from the ground staff, but the good news is that play will resume at 12.45 pm GMT. Tea will be taken at 3.15 pm GMT, meaning we are set for a two-and-a-half-hour afternoon session.

12.14 pm GMT - Good news! The rain has stopped, and the ground staff have begun the mop-up operation. After a lengthy delay, there is finally some activity out in the middle. An inspection has been scheduled for 12.30 pm GMT. The sun is out, which is good to see. Let's hope the rain stays away and we are able to resume soon.

... DAY 1, SESSION 2 ...

Lunch on Day 1 - Just 10 overs were possible in the first session of the opening day of the English Test summer, but we hope for better fortunes going ahead. After what transpired here during last year's World Test Championship final and the England-India Test that followed, there was plenty of discussion around whether the surface would play any differently this time around. It did not take long for the answer to emerge, with the lack of pace and bounce evident from the very first ball. Shot-making is unlikely to get any easier as the ball loses its hardness. The scheduled start time for the second session is 12.25 pm GMT, weather permitting. Until then, you can switch your attention to Lahore, where the series decider between Pakistan and Australia has just gotten underway. See you shortly.

11.30 am GMT -  We have some news. The match officials have decided to take the Lunch break at 11.45 am GMT, 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled break. With the rain showing little sign of easing, the officials have opted to bring forward the interval rather than wait for the scheduled lunch time.

11.07 am GMT - It continues to rain at Lord's, and it is quite a heavy downpour now. The radar does not make for particularly encouraging reading either, with plenty more rain expected through the afternoon. We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but rain is forecast on all five days of the Test, with interruptions possible throughout the match. All we can do is hope for the best. 

Summarising the action so far - It still felt like both sides were feeling each other out before the rain arrived and brought play to a halt. After being asked to bat, England's batters have had to work hard for their runs, with the surface proving to be on the slower side. It was a brief stay for debutant Emilio Gay, who became Kyle Jamieson's first victim of the morning. The tall Kiwi took a few deliveries to find his radar, but once he did, he managed to prise out the left-hander. Usually one to take the game on, Ben Duckett has dialled back the aggression and adopted a more watchful approach, while Jacob Bethell has had a few plays and misses in his stay so far.

Game stopped due to : Rain Stoppage

10.45 am GMT - As the umpires gather on the adjacent strip to discuss the looming weather threat, the downpour suddenly intensifies. The officials quickly suspend play and signal for the players to leave the field, prompting the ground staff to rush out with the hover cover. Michael Atherton reckons we could be in for a significant delay, with this band of rain expected to linger for the next hour or two. He remains optimistic about play resuming later in the day once the worst of the weather has passed.

Kyle Jamieson to Jacob Bethell, In the channel, on a length. Jacob lets it through to the keeper.

Kyle Jamieson to Jacob Bethell, Nicely done. Jamieson bashes the hard length, over off. Bethell hops and gets on top of the bounce. He opens the bat face to beat the diving backward point fielder to his right and comes back for the second run.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Serves it full, on off. A bit of away movement off the surface. Duckett gets on the front foot and drops it with soft hands in front of point for a quick single.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Taken but no bat involved. Bowled on a length, on middle. Duckett stays back to defend but the ball jags back in to beat him on the inside edge. It pings him on the thigh before it is taken at second slip by Kane Williamson.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Goes a bit fuller now, on off. Duckett pushes it to mid on.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Fractionally short, just outside off. Duckett stays leg side of the ball and taps the ball on its head as he plays it to backward point.

Nathan Smith to Jacob Bethell, End of a testing first over from Smith, a maiden. A bit fuller now, around off. Bethell shows the full face of the bat but the ball drops off the outer half beside the strip on the off side. Jacob is keen for a single but Nathan gets to the ball quickly and cuts it off.

Nathan Smith to Jacob Bethell, Smith hurls it on a good length, in the channel. Bethell presses forward and shoulders arms.

Nathan Smith to Jacob Bethell, Attacking the front pad, Jacob nudges this good-length ball to mid-wicket.

Nathan Smith to Jacob Bethell, At 135 kph, on a short of a length, on the off stump. It keeps a bit low but Bethell manages to chop it down towards gully.

Nathan Smith to Jacob Bethell, Fuller and angled in, on middle and leg. Bethell's head falls over a bit as he knocks it to mid on.

Nathan Smith has been introduced into the attack. 

Nathan Smith to Jacob Bethell, Smith starts with a beauty! In that testing corridor of uncertainty. Wobble seam ball, on a length. Bethell pushes out in front but the ball moves away with the slope to beat the bat.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Back to bowling it full, on middle, Duckett blocks it off by getting his bat out in front.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Oh, that took off. This will put the seed of doubt in the minds of these two batters. For the most part, the ball has stayed relatively low so far, but this one has kicked up sharply. On a hard length, over off. This rears up as Ben tries to fend it down. It dribbles off the shoulder of the blade towards gully.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Keeps the stumps in play but this is on a good length. Duckett keeps it out from the crease.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Bowled by going wide on the crease, fuller and at the sticks. Duckett hangs low and defends it watchfully.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Nipping back in, on a slightly back of a length, on middle and leg. Duckett shapes up to turn it square on the leg side but is beaten on the inside edge and gets hit on the thigh pad.

Kyle Jamieson to Ben Duckett, Serves it full, around off. Duckett leans into the drive nicely and plays it all along the ground through covers. Nathan Smith goes after it and cuts it off. Two runs taken.

Matt Henry to Jacob Bethell, Moving away off the deck, on a length. Jacob offers no shot.

Matt Henry to Jacob Bethell, Keeps it outside off, on a good length. Bethell makes the leave.

Matt Henry to Jacob Bethell, Fuller in length, on off. Bethell stabs it down on the off side.

As per Nasser Hussain on air, it has just started to rain a bit at the Lord's. But surprisingly, we can see the most amount of sunlight ever since the Test began.

Matt Henry to Jacob Bethell, Going away, on a good length. Bethell shoulders arms.

Matt Henry to Ben Duckett, Nearly chopped it back onto the stumps! Just around the line of the off pole, on a nagging length. Duckett hangs back for the block but the ball jags back in to catch the inside edge. It catches Ben on the thigh before deflecting wide of square leg.

Matt Henry to Ben Duckett, This is on a length, across the off stump. Duckett tries to cover the line but the ball leaves him to catch the outer half and it dribbles to gully.

Kyle Jamieson to Jacob Bethell, Beaten! Closer to the off stump, on the shorter side. Bethell has a slight poke at the delivery before withdrawing his bat. The ball goes away off the deck after pitching to beat Jacob on the outside edge.

Kyle Jamieson to Jacob Bethell, Drags the length back, on off. Bethell gets on his toes and rides the bounce nicely. He punches it through covers but the ball does not have enough legs to reach the fence. It is hauled in by a couple of fielders giving chase. Jacob opens his account with a couple of runs.