New Zealand vs England, 2019: 1st Test, Day 1 – Joe Root's toughest opponent, England's top-order success and more stats

England made a decent start to the 2-match Test series in New Zealand as they posted 241/4 before the stumps on day one of the Mount Maunganui Test. After electing to bat first, Rory Burns (52) shared crucial fifty-run stands with debutant Dominic Sibley (22) and Joe Denly (74). Skipper Joe Root continued his poor record in New Zealand by getting out for just two runs. However, Denly batted out 181 balls for his 74 and put on an 83-run partnership for the 4th wicket. Stokes ensured that England did not lose any more wickets with his unbeaten 114-ball 67.

All the statistical highlights from the first day of Test cricket in Mount Maunganui:

A rare win toss and bat strategy:

3 – The toss winning side has elected to bat first only three times in 34 Test matches hosted by New Zealand since the start of 2012. South Africa won the toss and elected to bat twice during the series in 2017.

Maunganui makes Test debut:

9 – The Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui is now the 9th venue to host a Test match in New Zealand. Overall, the Bay Oval became the 120th venue to host a Test.

An experienced playing XI:

531 – New Zealand’s playing XI of the first Test match had a combined experience of 531 Test matches. As many as five players in this XI appeared in more than 60 matches. Mitchell Santner (18) and Colin de Grandhomme (18) are the least experienced Test players among the current New Zealand XI.

Root’s weak zone:

23.20 – Joe Root has a batting average of 23.32 in Test matches in New Zealand; the lowest for him in any country. He has scored 232 runs from 10 innings in New Zealand with two fifties and two ducks. In fact, New Zealand is the only opponent against which Joe Root has a batting average less than 40 after playing at least 5 innings. Root currently averages 36.55 in the longer format against the Kiwis.

England’s top-order foundation:

2016 – Last instance of England sharing fifty-plus stands for the first two wickets in an innings of an away Test came in 2016 New Year Test at the Newlands in Cape Town. England shared partnerships of 55 and 74 for the first two wickets in the first innings of that match.

2014 – England had three fifty-plus partnerships for four wickets on day one. This is the first instance in more than five years for England where they had three 50+ stands for the first four wickets in the first innings of a Test match.

England added two 100-run stands and a fifty-run partnership in the first innings of the 2014 Southampton Test against India. Last time they achieved this feat in an away Test was back in 2010 against Bangladesh in Chattogram. England had three 50+ stands and a century partnership in that innings.

Starting with a boundary:

2013 – Dominic Sibley is the first England player in last six years to hit the first ball of Test career for a boundary. Chris Woakes was the last player who did on his debut against Australia in 2013 The Oval Test. The last player before Sibley to hit the first ball of Test career for a boundary while opening the innings for England was Brian Bolus way back in the 1963 Leeds Test against West Indies.

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