ENG vs NZ 1st Test | 'Lord’s pitch not ideal for Test cricket...': Ben Stokes after securing victory over New Zealand

Skipper Ben Stokes (right) celebrates England’s win over NZ with pacer Gus Atkinson at Lord’s on Sunday. Pic/AFP

England captain Ben Stokes said the Lord's pitch was "not ideal" for Test cricket after his side thrashed New Zealand by 115 runs on Sunday.

New Zealand, set 254 to win, were dismissed for just 138 before lunch on the fourth day, with paceman Gus Atkinson taking 5-30. A pitch of variable bounce in what was the 150th Test staged at Lord's - the most at any ground - made life difficult for batsmen.

The first day alone saw 16 wickets fall, with Stokes telling reporters after England went 1-0 up in a three-match series: "If you are there on Day One, you have had a great time. Wickets falling, balls flying everywhere… with 16 wickets and 200 runs being scored, it's a good day out. But it was an inconsistent pitch. As a batter you never feel in. As someone who believes Test cricket is the best format and should never disappear, that is not ideal...It's not just the case that players have lost the ability to dig in."

Meanwhile MCC secretary and chief executive Rob Lawson acknowledged the problem after Sunday's play, saying in a statement: "We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are naturally frustrated when a surface falls short of those expectations."

996
No. of balls bowled across the four innings of the England vs New Zealand Test - the fewest in a completed match at Lord's since 1888

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