New Zealand Include Boult As They Bat Against England

Faizan Hashmi Published June 02, 2022 | 03:00 PM

London, June 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 2nd Jun, 2022 ) :New Zealand included the recently-arrived Trent Boult in their side for the first Test at Lord's on Thursday as captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat against England.

Left-arm paceman Boult only joined the squad after playing in last weekend's Indian Premier League final but was selected by the reigning World Test champions as a member of a pace attack also including Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson.

This was England's first match under their new Test leadership duo of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, himself a former New Zealand skipper.

All-rounder Stokes took over after Joe Root stood down at the end of a five-year reign that culminated in series losses away to Australia and the West Indies, with a 4-0 Ashes reverse leading to Chris Silverwood being sacked as England coach.

England have won just one of their last 17 Tests, a woeful run that is reflected in the fact they are currently bottom of the World Test Championship table.

They named their side for this first of a three-match series on Wednesday, with veteran quicks James Anderson and Stuart Broad -- England's two most successful all-time Test bowlers with 1,177 wickets between them -- recalled.

The pair were controversially left out of the West Indies tour squad earlier this year.

England also gave a Test debut to in-form fast bowler Matthew Potts, a county colleague of Stokes at Durham, amid an injury crisis that had ruled out several seamers including Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Jofra Archer and Ollie Robinson.

Teams England: Zak Crawley, Alex Lees, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (capt), Ben Foakes (wkt), Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson New Zealand: Tom Latham, Will Young, Kane Williamson (capt), Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wkt), Colin de Grandhomme, Kyle Jamieson, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, Trent Boult Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Michael Gough (ENG)tv umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS)Match referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)