RCB’s Jacob Bethell faces the heat as Jamieson blows England away in the Lord’s Test

England collapsed on the opening day of their much-anticipated Lord’s Test against New Zealand, slumping to 118 for 8 when bad light delayed play in the second session. New Zealand’s fast bowlers, led by Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke, ran riot in London, making the most of the swing and swing on offer. Lord’s pitch on Day 1 was far from easy to negotiate and England’s batsmen seemed to lack the application needed to deal with the excessive movement of the seams.

Lord’s Test Day 1 Highlights | Scorecard

White-ball captain Harry Brook was the only batsman to put up a real fight. After being out for eight, he went on to score England’s solitary first innings half-century before the break. None of the others, including captain Ben Stokes and former captain Joe Root, managed to get going.

Interestingly, social media has been abuzz with questions regarding England’s preparations for the three-match series against the former world champions. While Jofra Archer was not available for selection due to a heavy workload in the IPL 2026 season, questions were also raised about the fitness of Jacob Bethell.

Bethell, who arrived in the UK ahead of the IPL 2026 playoffs, managed just six runs after facing 22 deliveries on Day 1. He was dismissed LBW by Will O’Rourke, who took the ball at a sharp angle around the wicket. The left-hander, batting at No. 3, looked completely out to sea, failed to cover the line and let the ball hit his pads.

Quite a few critics have pointed out that Bethell made a mistake in spending so much time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru despite not getting an opportunity at the start of the IPL season which ended on 31 May. Former Captain Sir Alastair Cook had previously suggested that Bethell should have played County Cricket instead of warming the benches in the IPL. However, Bethell and a handful of former cricketers, including Kevin Pietersen, defended the decision. Even head coach Brendon McCullum, who spoke to the press on Tuesday, insisted that Bethell looked well prepared to face the challenge of the red ball.

“I’m sure working in India, I know it’s probably not ideal in terms of structure and maybe he doesn’t get as many red-ball matches, but he’s got a level head and is a very methodical preparer when it comes to the mental side of the game,” McCullum said. Screengrab by X

Bethell was one of the few positives for the England side during their 1-4 drubbing in the Ashes in Australia earlier this year, where he hit a century in Sydney. However, serious concerns remain over his lack of match practice leading up to this all-important Test in London.

Crucially, Bethell was not the only man undone by the quality of New Zealand’s attack.

Ben Duckett, who retired from the IPL after securing a contract with Delhi Capitals, managed just 19 before falling LBW to Nathan Smith. Debutant opener Emilio Gay became the first of Jamieson’s four victims.

Joe Root survived just eight deliveries in the middle before receiving an absolute peach from O’Rourke. Wicket-spinner Jamie Smith was then undone by a delivery that came back sharply after being pitched and knocked his clean off stump off the ground.

Skipper Ben Stokes, coming in at No.7, scraped together 12 off 23 balls before Jamieson claimed a valuable wicket, thanks to a sensational catch in the slips by Kane Williamson. Brook, despite being dropped twice, could not convert his half-century into a substantial score, leaving tail-enders Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue together in the middle with England at 118 for 8.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

04 Jun 2026 21:06 IST