New Zealand vs England: Ben Stokes injury update

England secured a commanding eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test in Christchurch, showcasing a dominant all-round performance. Led by Ben Stokes, the visitors excelled with both bat and ball. Harry Brook was the standout performer, smashing a brilliant 171, while Ollie Pope and Stokes added valuable half-centuries to propel England to a 151-run lead in the first innings. On the bowling front, Brydon Carse delivered a sensational performance in the third innings, claiming six wickets and helping bundle out the hosts for 254. England's chase was efficient and composed, with youngster Jacob Bethell making a vital half-century to secure the win.

However, a cause for concern emerged as skipper Ben Stokes appeared to aggravate his back during the match. Stokes, who earlier missed games against Sri Lanka and Pakistan due to a hamstring injury, bowled 19.3 overs across innings before limping off the field. Despite this, the 33-year-old all-rounder remained optimistic about his recovery, stating post-match that he was feeling better and expected to be fit for the second Test. Reflecting on his batting performance, Stokes emphasized the importance of his 159-run partnership with Brook, which played a pivotal role in England's commanding first-innings total. The victory puts England in a strong position as they look to continue their winning momentum in the second Test, while fans will eagerly await updates on their captain’s fitness.

“I found myself in a tricky place, put in a partnership with Brook, and the way the tail played, we have a pretty long batter order and it worked nicely. I hurt my back, but it was more about managing, and I had a heavy workload with 20 overs. But I'm fine and should be good to go for the second game. We'll decide upon the team combination ahead of the next game,” England captain Ben Stokes said in the post-match presentation.

New Zealand began the first Test on a solid note, posting a commendable 348 runs in their first innings. However, their fielding let them down in the second innings, where they dropped as many as eight catches. These missed opportunities allowed England to gain a significant lead, ultimately tilting the contest in their favor. Reflecting on the performance, skipper Tom Latham admitted that such lapses can occur but stressed the importance of stepping up in the next game. Latham also highlighted the need for his batters to construct more substantial partnerships to stand a better chance against England’s high-quality bowling attack.

“We were pretty happy with our position (1st innings), we had our opportunities. Another day all the catches would’ve gone to hand, guys were not meaning to drop catches. Happens sometimes, that’s cricket. Hopefully, we can do better next time. You always want more, had to build some partnerships. We had some but would be nice to extend them. They have some quality players who put you under pressure,” said New Zealand captain Tom Latham.