Black Caps on the ropes after testing day of ‘Baz-ball’ at Bay Oval

Day 1, at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui: England 325-9 from 58.2 overs declared (Harry Brook 89 from 81, Ben Duckett 84 from 68, Ollie Pope 42 from 65; Neil Wagner 4-82, Tim Southee 2-71) plays New Zealand 37-3 after 18 overs (Devon Conway 18 not out; Jimmy Anderson 2-11, Ollie Robinson 1-10)

Welcome to the brave and unpredictable world of ‘Baz-ball’, where test matches advance at a feverish pace.

It’s certainly advantage England at stumps on day one at Bay Oval, after their seamers backed up a quick-fire innings by snaring three wickets under the lights and reducing New Zealand to 37-3.

The Black Caps sure chased a ton of leather during the 58.2 overs England utilised to score 325-9 declared.

It confirmed a couple of things. Firstly, New Zealand conditions will not stand in the way of the Brendon McCullum coached English carrying on their merry attacking way. And secondly, fears New Zealand’s inexperienced attack would struggle without Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry were founded.

Yet it could have been a heck of a lot worse after Black Caps captain Tim Southee won the toss and elected to field, and Ben Duckett and Harry Brook went close to hitting pacey tons on a surface which browned considerably in the 24 hours before play commenced.

After all, on a day England struck 48 fours and a six and ticked along at 5.57 an over, danger men Joe Root (14) and Ben Stokes (18) gifted the hosts their scalps playing the attacking brand of cricket they’ve become renowned for under the McCullum-Stokes partnership.

But that’s how they roll. Reverse sweeping a wide Neil Wagner delivery and being caught at slip by a diving Daryl Mitchell, who anticipated the chance as soon as Root shaped to play the unconventional shot, is a possible and accepted consequence of their methods.

The dismissals of Root and Stokes, who heaved a short delivery from debutant Scott Kuggeleijn to Tom Latham at mid-wicket, were two of three wickets to fall in the middle session as England went from a position of dominance to 209-5 after 37.5 overs.

Brook (89) and Ben Foakes (38) put on 89 for the sixth wicket to seize back the initiative, but once the former was bowled after chopping a Wagner bouncer on to his stumps via his body, England, itching to have a crack at NZ under the lights, quickly went down swinging,

Considering they bullied New Zealand’s attack early doors and raced past 100 inside 16 overs, and were 134-2 after the opening session courtesy of opener Ben Duckett’s 84 from 68, the hosts will feel they dodged a bullet.

But they’ll also feel they bounced back well after dishing up a platter of rubbish earlier. Indeed, not including Southee, they lacked consistency and were either too full or too short and wide on a slow pitch that offered swing for all of a few overs under the sun.

Under fire and not helped by Wagner bowling five no balls – one of them nipped back in and cleaned up opener Zak Crawley – nobody bowled a maiden until Southee did in the 47th over of the day.

Blair Tickner and Kuggeleijn must have been wondering what they’d got themselves into to start their test careers.

The big moment

“It’s got to be [out],” Stokes chirped after promptly reviewing Aleem Dar’s decision to not give Kane Williamson (six) out lbw late in the day.

Stokes was bang on. The ball was crashing into the sticks, ending Williamson’s 21-ball stay and reducing New Zealand to 23-2.

Best with the bat

Sure, Brook led the way with 89 from 81, but English opener Ben Duckett’s 84 from just 68 balls set the tone in the opening session. The left-hander got his team off to a flyer, hitting 10 fours en route to his fifth test 50. There was nothing ugly about it. Brook just played pure cricket shots during what was a flawless innings before he hit a length Tickner delivery to short cover.

Best with the ball

Jimmy Anderson. Taking advantage of sending down the pink ball under the lights, when batting is notoriously difficult, he trapped Williamson lbw and nicked Henry Nicholls out with a peach. He should have had Devon Conway for 10, too, but Crawley put down a sitter at second slip.

The big picture

Losers of five of the six day-night tests they’ve played, England did what they had to do – put runs on the board and knocked the top off New Zealand’s order under the lights. Whether Anderson and co can muster movement under the sun on Tuesday afternoon will go a long way to determining if this match continues to advance at pace.