NEW Zealand pulled off a dramatic win by an innings and 49 runs over England in Auckland yesterday, wrapping up the rain-affected first Test with 18.5 overs to spare.
It is only the 10th time New Zealand have beaten England in the 102-Test history between the two countries.

As fortunes fluctuated on the final day in scenes reminiscent of the cliffhanger finish the last time the two sides met at Eden Park, five years ago, Ben Stokes lined himself up to be the hero England so desperately needed.

But with his dismissal for 66 on the stroke of dinner in the day-night Test, New Zealand went into the final session with the task of mopping up the last three wickets, while England still needed 69 runs to makes New Zealand bat again.
Five days after all seemed lost for England when they were rolled for a paltry 58, in their first innings, New Zealand settled the outcome with the tourists all out for 320.
For three consecutive sessions in England’s second innings, New Zealand changed the flow of the match with a wicket in the final over.

Joe Root went at stumps on day four to have England 3-132, Moeen Ali fell at tea on day five after adding 36 runs with Stokes, and then Stokes went at dinner ending an 83-run stand with Chris Woakes.

Five years ago to the day England lost Ian Bell in the last over before tea to be seven down going into the last session, but then they had battling Matt Prior to save the day as they survived until stumps with one wicket remaining.

This time there would be no such heroics as Stokes, returning from exile after being dropped before the Magellan Ashes series following a nightclub altercation in England, saw his effort to snatch an unexpected draw end after 188 deliveries.

A stubborn stand for two sessions folded when he lost patience during a lengthy spell of short-pitched bowling from Neil Wagner – New Zealand’s go-to bowler when wickets are hard to come by – and clipped a rising ball to Tim Southee at point.
Wagner, Todd Astle and Trent Boult all finished with three wickets.

When New Zealand declared their first innings at 8-427 on Sunday, after almost two full days were lost because of rain, England faced a target of 369 to avoid an innings defeat.
They resumed the final day needing 237 and lost Dawid Malan early in the fifth over.
Stokes and Jonny Bairstow cautiously advanced the score to 181 in a partnership of 39 off 128 deliveries before Bairstow was out to another acrobatic catch by a flying Williamson for 26.

Ali was lbw to Boult with the umpire initially ruling in favour of the batsman before the decision was overturned on review.

Craig Overton could only manage three, Woakes went on to 52 before he fended a Wagner delivery to Henry Nicholls and the match ended when Astle had James Anderson caught at mid-off by Boult.
The second Test starts in Christchurch on Friday.

ENGLAND 1st innings
Alastair Cook c Tom Latham b Trent Boult 5
Mark Stoneman c BJ Watling b Tim Southee 11
Joe Root b Trent Boult 0
Dawid Malan c BJ Watling b Trent Boult 2
Ben Stokes b Trent Boult 0
Jonny Bairstow c & b Tim Southee 0
Moeen Ali b Tim Southee 0
Chris Woakes b Trent Boult 5
Craig Overton not out 33
Stuart Broad c Kane Williamson b Tim Southee 0
James Anderson c Henry Nicholls b Trent Boult 1
Extras: (lb-1) 1
Total: (all out, 20.4 overs) 58
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-6, 3-16, 4-18, 5-18, 6-18, 7-23, 8-23, 9-27.
Bowling: Boult 10.4-3-32-6, Southee 10-3-25-4.

NEW ZEALAND 1st innings
Jeet Raval c Jonny Bairstow b James Anderson 3
Tom Latham c Chris Woakes b Stuart Broad 26
Kane Williamson lbw James Anderson 102
Ross Taylor c Chris Woakes b James Anderson 20
Henry Nicholls not out 145
BJ Watling c Jonny Bairstow b Stuart Broad 31
Colin de Grandhomme c Jonny Bairstow b Craig Overton 29
Todd Astle b Stuart Broad 18
Tim Southee c & b Joe Root 25
Neil Wagner not out 9
Extras: (b-4, lb-9, w-6) 19
Total: (9 wkts decl, 141.0 overs) 427
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-92, 3-123 4-206, 5-260, 6-309, 7-341 Astle 8-413.
Bowling: Anderson 29-10-87-3, Broad 34-9-78-3, Overton 25-7-70-1 (w-1), Woakes 33-9-107-0 (w-1), Moeen Ali 17-1-59-0-3.47.
ENGLAND 2nd innings
Alastair Cook c BJ Watling b Trent Boult 2
Mark Stoneman c Trent Boult b Neil Wagner 55
Joe Root c BJ Watling b Trent Boult 51
Dawid Malan c Tom Latham b Tim Southee 23
Ben Stokes c Tim Southee b Neil Wagner 66
Jonny Bairstow c Kane Williamson b Todd Astle 26
Moeen Ali lbw Trent Boult 28
Chris Woakes c Henry Nicholls b Neil Wagner 52
Craig Overton lbw Todd Astle 3
Stuart Broad not out 1
James Anderson c Trent Boult b Todd Astle 1
Extras: (b-8, lb-2, nb-1, w-1) 12
Total: (all out, 126.1 overs) 320
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-94, 3-132 t, 4-142, 5-181, 6-217, 7-300, 8-304, 9-319.
Bowling: Boult 27-9-67-3, Southee 26-4-86-1, Colin de Grandhomme 24-10-40-0 (nb-1), Wagner 32-11-77-3, (w-1), Astle 16.1-39-3