England threw caution well and truly out of the window on the opening day of the pink-ball Test against New Zealand on Thursday, making a bold declaration and then snaring three quick wickets to vindicate their daring new approach to Test cricket.
England captain Ben Stokes, and coach Brendon McCullum, have insisted on batting with extreme aggression to force results, a ploy that has seen them win nine of their last 10 Tests.
At Mount Maunganui, England continued to treat Test match like a white-ball game, racing to 325-9 declared in just 58.2 overs before putting the Kiwis in to bat under lights.
The strategy worked perfectly as Tom Latham, Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls departed before reaching double figures. Veteran seamer James Anderson took 2-11, including the key wicket of Williamson following an lbw review, as the hosts limped to 37-3 by stumps at the Bay Oval.
Opener Devon Conway will resume day two on 18 and nightwatchman Neil Wagner on four, with a deficit of 288 runs.
England set the ball rolling early. Blistering half-centuries by opener Ben Duckett (84 off 68 balls) and Harry Brook (89 off 81 balls) laid the foundation of an innings that never slowed down at any point.
England's approach was summed up by Joe Root, who reverse swept fast bowler Wagner to slip when on just 14.
The visitors' innings featured 48 fours and one six from Brook off New Zealand captain Tim Southee, who was lashed for 2-71 from 13 overs.
New Zealand's depleted attack fought back midway through the second session when Ollie Pope, Root and Stokes fell in quick succession, allowing debut pace bowlers Blair Tickner (1-72) and Scott Kuggeleijn (2-80) to claim their maiden Test wickets.
However, momentum was snatched back by Brook, supported by 38 from Ben Foakes.
Playing just his fifth Test, Brook was poised to become only the second England batsman after Ken Barrington in the 1960s to hit centuries in four consecutive Tests.
However, he played on to Wagner (4-82), the left-arm seamer benefiting from England's approach.
“The best time to bowl is under these lights,” Brook said of the declaration in less than 60 overs.
“I think you can extract the most amount of swing and seam, so why not expose their top order to that?”
