ENG vs NZ: ‘His spirit is still there’ – Island Cricket brutally trolls England after collapse at Lord’s

Joe Root and Ben Stokes (AP Photo) England’s batting collapse against New Zealand in the opening Test at Lord’s has drawn plenty of criticism on social media, but one of the harshest reactions came from Iceland Cricket’s account, which couldn’t resist slamming the struggling hosts.After England were bundled out for just 140 in their first innings on Thursday, Island Cricket posted a cheeky message on X that quickly caught the attention of fans.“You can take Zak Crawley out of the England side physically but his spirit is still there.

Icelandic cricket post

The post was in reference to England’s recent selection changes ahead of the three-match series against New Zealand. Both Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope were left out of the squad, with the selectors opting for a fresh look batting line-up. However, after England’s top order crumbled at Lord’s, Island Cricket jokingly suggested that Crawley’s influence was still felt in his absence.The joke came after a miserable day with the bat for England. Recovering from 24-1 after a rain-interrupted morning, the hosts suffered a dramatic collapse after lunch, losing seven wickets for 94 runs as the New Zealanders took complete control.Will O’Rourke and Kyle Jamieson made brilliant use of the auxiliary conditions to combine for five goals, while Nathan Smith kicked the other two. England’s top order had no answers as Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root and Jamie Smith all departed cheaply.At one stage, New Zealand looked capable of dismissing England for an even lower total, but Harry Brook put up some resistance. The right-back waged a lone battle, scoring 56 goals and accounting for more than a third of England’s total. He got two reprieve during the innings after falling for 8 and 45 but none of his teammates could give him meaningful support.Skipper Ben Stokes briefly threatened to steady the innings before being dismissed by a stunning one-handed catch from Kane Williamson at second slip. Brook eventually fell while attempting an aggressive shot outside Nathan Smith, ending England’s hopes of a competitive score in the first innings.A final score of 140 left England facing an uphill battle and handed New Zealand complete control of the Test. It also provided fresh material for Iceland Cricket, whose social media account has built a reputation for poking fun at cricket’s biggest teams and players.This time, England’s batting woes and Crawley’s absence proved too tempting to ignore. While the former opener was nowhere near the Lord’s pitch, Iceland Cricket’s viral post ensured his name was still part of the conversation.