England collapse gives New Zealand hope in first Test

England suffered a dramatic middle-order collapse on Friday, losing four wickets for just one run, as New Zealand fought back on the second day of the first Test at Lord’s.

The hosts were well placed at 126-2 in their second innings but slumped to 127-6 before Jamie Smith steadied the ship with an unbeaten 31.

Harry Brook, fresh from a first-innings fifty, and England captain Ben Stokes were both dismissed without scoring after Emilio Gay marked his Test debut with a fifty.

At tea, England were 166-6, with a lead of 193 runs, which looked useful on a bowler-friendly wicket.

Nathan Smith was the pick of New Zealand’s bowlers, with figures of 3-49 in the home team’s second innings.

England were 99-1 when Jacob Bethell was bowled for 14 by a Matt Henry delivery that hardly bounced.

Gay, however, was still seeking to punish New Zealand for failing to review a rejected Henry lbw appeal when the opener was still on his lunch score of 24.

Replays indicated the Durham batsman would have been out.

Gay pressed on to an 84-ball fifty, including seven fours, before he was out for 57, caught behind off Smith, to leave England 126-3.

Brook was trapped in front by Will O’Rourke for a duck and Joe Root fell in similar fashion to Smith for eight.

Stokes was then clean bowled by an excellent Smith delivery that angled in before clipping the top of the left-hander’s off stump.

Earlier, Ollie Robinson celebrated a five-wicket haul on his return to England duty as the visitors were dismissed for just 113 in their first innings.

The Sussex pace bowler, playing his first Test in more than two years, produced a triple-wicket maiden on Thursday during a sensational return of 4-10 in six overs as New Zealand slumped to 61-6 at stumps.

He wrapped up the innings on Friday by bowling last man Henry for a duck to leave New Zealand 27 runs behind England’s first-innings 140 all out.

Robinson finished with Test-best figures of 5-39 in 10.1 overs — his fourth five-wicket haul.

After an astonishing opening day on which 16 wickets fell, New Zealand were looking to all-rounder Phillips, 31 not out overnight, to boost their total.

But he had added just three runs when fast bowler Josh Tongue (3-40) knocked over his off stump.

Tailender Kyle Jamieson, who had taken five wickets on Thursday, topscored with 38 not out in a dismal New Zealand innings that finished inside 30 overs.