Oliie Robinson the protagonist of the opening day in reducing New Zealand to 29 for 6 with a superb new-ball burst on his comeback to Test cricket, led England off after just under an hour on the second morning after completing his first five-wicket haul in four years. Their first-innings lead stood at 29 after Kyle Jamieson’s three sixes put a small dent in the deficit.

Glenn Phillips had counterattacked on the first evening but lost his off stump to Josh Tongue’s first ball of the morning. Tongue struck again in his second over when Nathan Smith left one that jagged back sharply, Atkinson bluffed Will O’Rourke with a full ball that he edged to slip, and Robinson roared in celebration after knocking back Henry’s middle stump.

Gay’s maiden Test innings had lasted only 14 balls as Jamieson worked him over, but he played tightly and patiently in his second in adding 52 with Ben Duckett. He slowly went through the gears after a cautious start, reaching an 84-ball half-century – the first by an England opener on debut since Keaton Jennings in 2016 – when taking 16 runs off a Smith over.

But New Zealand will rue a series of missed opportunities. Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway both dropped catches for the second day in a row – Ravindra shelled Duckett at short midwicket, and Conway gave Bethell a life at gully – while Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham left a slip catch for one another when Henry found Gay’s outside edge.

Duckett made 33 before slicing O’Rourke to gully while camped on the back foot expecting a short ball before Henry’s daisy-cutter did for Bethell, but it was Gay’s dismissal – fiddling Smith’s outswinger behind – that prompted England’s collapse: Harry Brook and Joe Root were pinned lbw, while Ben Stokes lost his off stump to Smith as 126 for 2 became 127 for 6 in 11 balls.

It took a 57-run stand between Jamie Smith and Atkinson – the highest partnership of the match – to drag England’s lead past 200. Smith, promoted above Stokes to No. 6, was bowled shouldering arms in the first innings but played with far more conviction in the second, driving Henry to both the cover and mid-off boundaries in the over before tea.

Atkinson miscued a flat-batted swat straight up to be caught-and-bowled by Jamieson but Robinson took over from him by swiping at New Zealand’s short balls. Nathan Smith was rewarded when he went fuller, bowling both his namesake Jamie and Tongue before Robinson’s heave to midwicket gave him a second successive six-wicket haul.

It left New Zealand needing the highest score of the match to secure only their second win at Lord’s and while higher targets than 253 have been hauled in across the previous 149 Tests at this ground, few of those can have been on surfaces offering fast bowlers as much encouragement as this one.

Latham decided to chance his arm, chasing Atkinson’s third ball with a hard-handed drive which he steered straight to Brook at second slip. Unsurprisingly, Robinson’s first over was less eventful in the second innings than his three-wicket effort in the first, but he very nearly had Kane Williamson bowled shouldering arms in his second.

Robinson was chuntering when Stokes brought the keeper up to force Williamson to stay in his crease, and his attempts to send Jamie Smith back were ignored. But the argument came to a natural end between overs as Williamson was pinned lbw by Tongue, reviewing only in desperation as his fifth and likely final Test at Lord’s ended with scores of 0 and 18.

O’Rourke was given the unenviable task of walking out as nightwatcher, and lasted six balls before he was castled by Atkinson. Devon Conway, who reached the close unbeaten on 12, will need substantial support from New Zealand’s middle order to reel in the remaining 218 runs.

Brief scores:
New Zealand 113 in 29.5 overs  (Kyle Jamieson 38; Gus Atkinsonn2-09,Ollie Robinson 5-39, Josh Tongue 3-40) and 36 for 3 in 11.5 overs (Devon Conway 12*; Gus Atkinson 2-10) need 218 more runs to beat England 140 in 39.4 overs (Harry Brook 56; Kyle Jamieson 5-62, Nathan Smith 3-38, Will O’Rouke 2-25) and 226 in 5 overs (Emillo Gay 57, Jamie Smith 39; Nathan Smith 6-70, Will O’Rourke 2-46)

[Cricinfo]

For West Indies, the problems certainly outweighed the positives. Despite the quick start provided by their openers – something that in most scenarios ought to have helped break the spine of a 300-plus chase – the middle order struggled to contend with Sri Lanka’s spinners.

There also seemed to be a distinct lack of clarity in their batting approach; unlike in T20s where they are a side renowned for their ability to clear the boundary with regularity, in the 50-over format – perhaps owing to the fact this was their first such assignment in six months – there seemed to be some rustiness and even unease around the need to build at pace through the middle.

Nevertheless, there will be strands to cling to heading into Saturday’s second ODI, particularly the execution of their plans in shackling Pathum Nissanka. At the same time, it will have been impressed on the top-order the importance of capitalising on their starts.

In the opening game, Roston Chase showcased his utility, delivering a tidy ten-over spell of 2 for 47 before chipping in with a steady 33 off 46 balls during the chase. Those numbers kept the home side competitive, but in a must-win second game, West Indies will be hoping he ramps things up, particularly with the bat. Chase’s technical expertise against spin will likely prove pivotal in combating the pair of Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana, and that anchor role will ideally allow the team’s designated boundary-hitters to play with freedom around him.

Dushmantha Chameera proved that absolute pace remains lethal, regardless of the type of surface on offer. The quick turned up once more with his now customary consistent displays of hit-the-deck bowling, as he ran through the West Indies middle-and-lower order to finish with match-winning figures of 4 for 67. His capacity to extract sharp bounce from a good length will also once more prove a challenge for the West Indian openers.

West Indies will most probably go in with an unchanged XI.

West Indies (probable): John Campbell,  Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope (capt & wk), Sherfane Rutherford,  Roston Chase,  Matthew Forde,  Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph,  Shamar Joseph,  Jayden Seales

Sri Lanka will likely field an unchanged lineup. Though considering Sri Lanka’s stacked seam-bowling department, and the reverse swing on offer in the first game, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Eshan Malinga brought into the XI.

Sri Lanka (probable): Pathum Nissanka,  Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (capt & wk), Pavan Rathnayake,  Charith Asalanka,  Janith Liyanage,  Wanindu Hasaranga,  Milan Rathnayake,  Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera,  Asitha Fernando/Eshan Malinga

[Cricinfo]