Harry Brook and Brydon Carse shine as England secure a dominant victory in Christchurch

CHRISTCHURCH: England cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test on Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series and halting the Black Caps’ momentum following their recent success in India.

Harry Brook’s scintillating 171 and an exceptional seam-bowling performance from Brydon Carse, who claimed Player of the Match honors with a 10-wicket haul, set the stage for the visitors’ triumph within four days.

Carse’s six for 42 on the final day restricted New Zealand to 254, despite a resilient 84 from Daryl Mitchell. Chasing a modest target of 104 runs, England made short work of it, underlining their dominance.

Jacob Bethell marked his Test debut in style, scoring the winning run to bring up his maiden half-century. Joe Root, celebrating his 150th Test appearance, contributed an unbeaten 23, guiding England comfortably across the finish line before tea.

Harry Brook, whose explosive innings had swung the match decisively in England’s favor, remained padded up in the grandstand as his services were not needed.

“Yeah, very good,” said England captain Ben Stokes. “I’m really pleased with how we responded, especially under pressure on day two. Our bowlers were relentless throughout, so it’s a fantastic start for us.”

There was a moment of concern for England when Stokes pulled up mid-over and handed the ball to Atkinson to finish it. However, the skipper later assured he’d be fit for the second Test in Wellington on Friday.

New Zealand had been competitive through the first two days, but captain Tom Latham admitted that a series of dropped catches ultimately cost them dearly.

Ben Stokes opted to bowl first after winning the toss, drawn by the green tinge on the pitch, but England’s seamers struggled to deliver the breakthroughs he had hoped for on the opening day.

Despite this, the visitors kept the Black Caps in check, with Kane Williamson falling just seven runs short of a century. Spinner Shoaib Bashir capitalized on some reckless shot selections, finishing with impressive figures of 4-69.

New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 348 early on day two. Though England found themselves in trouble at 71-4, it set the stage for Harry Brook’s game-changing innings.

The 25-year-old produced a dazzling knock, aided by a bit of luck as the hosts dropped him six times. His seventh Test century in 22 matches boosted his batting average in New Zealand to a remarkable 100.