England secured a much-needed winning start to their summer campaign by defeating New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord's, easing some of the pressure that followed their disappointing Ashes defeat in Australia.
Ben Stokes' side required less than a full morning session on the fourth day to wrap up victory and move 1-0 ahead in the three-match Test series, with the hosts ruthlessly exploiting challenging batting conditions to complete the job.
After being set a target of 254, New Zealand resumed on 55-5 and always faced an uphill battle on a surface that had caused problems throughout the match.
Any lingering hopes of a fightback were quickly extinguished when England struck almost immediately after play resumed on Sunday.
Josh Tongue needed only a handful of deliveries to make the breakthrough, trapping Tom Blundell in front as the tourists slipped further into trouble.
With the ball continuing to seam, bounce unpredictably and swing under overcast skies, New Zealand struggled to establish any momentum.
Glenn Phillips briefly offered resistance, launching a counter-attack alongside Devon Conway in an attempt to drag his side back into contention.
The pair added valuable runs for the seventh wicket and looked capable of frustrating England's bowlers for a period.
England secured a much-needed winning start to their summer campaign by defeating New Zealand by 115 runs at Lord's, easing some of the pressure that followed their disappointing Ashes defeat in Australia
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England were handed a chance during the partnership when Conway survived after Harry Brook failed to hold a catch in the slips.
However, the breakthrough eventually arrived when Stokes tempted Conway into a mistake, opening the door for England to finish the job.
Once that wicket fell, the collapse accelerated.
Nathan Smith was dismissed edging behind, Kyle Jamieson followed shortly afterwards and Matt Henry became the final man out as England wrapped up victory in convincing fashion.
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 7, 2026
A winning start to our Test match summer 💪
Victory by 115 runs at Lord's pic.twitter.com/ZeIdjrV39X
The star of the show was once again Gus Atkinson.
The Surrey fast bowler claimed outstanding figures of 5-30 to add another memorable chapter to his growing list of achievements at Lord's.
His performance proved decisive as England's pace attack dominated a match in which seam bowlers held complete control from start to finish.
The contest continued a recent pattern involving England, with matches increasingly being decided at remarkable speed.
Several Tests during the Ashes series were completed in little more than two days, while this encounter became notable for another unusual statistic.
Not a single ball of spin was delivered by either side throughout the match, marking the first Test in England since 1988 to be completed without any spin bowling whatsoever.
The pitch inevitably became a major talking point.
Conditions consistently favoured the seamers and many observers felt the surface prevented the match from developing into a balanced contest between bat and ball.
Gus Atkinson was the star of the show as England beat New Zealand
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New Zealand's own shortcomings compounded their problems.
The tourists were unusually untidy in the field, missing several opportunities that might have altered the course of the game and allowing England to establish a decisive advantage.
Yet England will not be concerned by complaints over the spectacle.
Following a difficult winter and the disappointment of a heavy Ashes defeat, the immediate priority was securing a result and rebuilding confidence.
Now, England have done exactly that.