Atkinson grabs five as England dispatch New Zealand for 115-run victory in first Test

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/G6PWlrQB/"]New Zealand[/a], set 254 to win, were [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/cricket/england-UJC5mtAU/new-zealand-G6PWlrQB/?mid=8YVGt6cU"]dismissed for 138 before lunch on the fourth day[/a] in the 150th Test staged at Lord's - the most at any ground.[/p][p]Surrey paceman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atkinson-gus/Aodjczhc/"]Atkinson[/a] took 5-30 - his fourth five-wicket innings haul in three Tests at Lord's - as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/UJC5mtAU/"]England[/a] went 1-0 up in a three-match series.[/p][p]But fellow seamer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robinson-ollie/Ug1zzruf/"]Ollie Robinson[/a] was named player-of-the-match after marking his first Test in over two years with seven wickets in the match - including a Test-best haul of 5-39, featuring a rare triple-wicket maiden, in New Zealand's meagre first-innings 113.[/p][p][b]"There was a time when I never thought I'd be back on a pitch with England, so to get that win for the team is such a special feeling,"[/b] said Robinson at the presentation ceremony.[/p][p]While Robinson's skill has rarely been questioned - he now has 83 wickets in 21 Tests at an average of just 21.91 apiece  - doubts over the 32-year-old Sussex captain's fitness and attitude led to a lengthy exile from England duty.[/p][p][b]"I know that this is just the start and there's a lot more hard work to be done, but I want to make sure it's a long career, and there won't be any let-up this time,"[/b] added Robinson.[/p][embed guid="d4d49b68-ae89-49b1-bbbd-0747e23f23bb" url="https://x.com/englandcricket/status/2063602647018430836" social-type="twitter" /][p]This was England's first Test since a 4-1 series loss in Australia completed in January, where they were criticised for an overly-attacking style that meant they failed to consolidate strong positions, with many questioning whether Brendon McCullum should remain as coach.[/p][h2]'Bravery can be misunderstood'[/h2][p]But McCullum, a former New Zealand captain, told the BBC on Sunday: [b]"Our execution with the ball was outstanding, our plans were great. With the bat, I thought we were brave at times and calculated at other times.[/b][/p][p][b]"Bravery can be misunderstood, it's not always running down wicket and banging it into the stands, bravery is about being able to manipulate your stance at the crease, manufacture ones. I thought our boys did a good job with that."[/b][/p][p]England's win also owed much to debutant opener Emilo Gay's 57 in their second-innings 226, with skipper Ben Stokes saying: [b]"I said to him that these conditions are at the top of the tough end in Test cricket, and the pressure that he was under in the third innings in such a low-scoring game.[/b][/p][p][b]"It was a monumental innings to get us to a lead that we were comfortable with."[/b][/p][embed guid="1bb811cb-06e2-4f50-b979-7c972006c872" url="https://x.com/englandcricket/status/2063590949377266075" social-type="twitter" /][p]On Sunday, Devon Conway (41) and Glenn Phillips (44 not out) kept England at bay with a seventh-wicket partnership of 53 - New Zealand's highest of a low-scoring match.[/p][p]England still only needed 19 overs to take the five wickets they required for victory on a pitch of variable bounce.[/p][p][b]"It's a surface that we weren't expecting,"[/b] said New Zealand captain Tom Latham.[/p][p][b]"There were two highly talented bowling attacks that exploited those conditions."[/b][/p][p]New Zealand, however, did not help themselves with several dropped catches.[/p][p][b]"We had those opportunities from a fielding perspective, and we weren't able to capitalise,"[/b] said Latham.[/p][p][b]"There are small moments that you have to take, and we didn't take them."[/b][/p][embed guid="fb64a9ab-1f0d-41b6-9265-1cacbb7a8350" url="https://x.com/englandcricket/status/2063609612847161833" social-type="twitter" /][p]New Zealand's overnight 55-5 became 58-6 when Tom Blundell was lbw to fast bowler Josh Tongue.[/p][p]New batsman Phillips struck two fours off Robinson.[/p][p]And when Stokes brought himself on, Phillips clipped his fifth ball through midwicket for another boundary to bring up New Zealand's hundred.[/p][p]Stokes, however, had Conway edging a good-length ball, with Jacob Bethell holding a fine low catch in the gully to end the left-handed opener's gritty innings.[/p][p]Phillips defiantly pulled Tongue for six, but could only watch as Atkinson ended the match by bowling last man Matt Henry for a duck to finish with 5-30 in 11.3 overs.[/p][p][b]Only three bowlers have more five-wicket Test hauls at Lord's than Atkinson - England greats Ian Botham, Fred Trueman and James Anderson.[/b][/p][p]The series now moves across London to the Oval, where the second Test starts on June 17th.[/p]