‘Knew we had to play the long game’ – Kane Williamson

It was a race against time as close to two days of play in the first Test at Auckland’s Eden Park were lost to rain, leaving New Zealand with very little time to beat England, which had been set up after the visiting side had been knocked over for just 58 in their first innings on the opening day.

The final day started with England, 369 behind after the first-innings exchanges, on 132/3. But despite a strong fightback by Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, New Zealand kept the faith and ran out victors by an innings and 49 runs in the final session.

“It was a fantastic performance from us,” said Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain who scored 102 in his team’s only innings. “If we go back to that first innings, we bowled great lengths and also were fortunate in terms of finding the edge. Trent (Boult) was outstanding and so was Tim (Southee).

“We certainly knew we have to work hard against a quality England side in terms of their bowling attack and taking wickets in the second innings, which they showed was very difficult to do. They fought very hard, and we tried to build pressure and then a couple went our way, which was great. We knew we had to play the long game.”

Boult was named the Player of the Match for his returns of 6/32 and 3/67.

“Obviously a great finish to the match,” he said. “I guess you feel great when you get the ball moving around like the way we did. We know how important it is to get 20 wickets, and the way the bowlers stuck it out together and got the result is what makes it all the more significant.

“The wicket was definitely slower today than I thought and the ball didn't respond as we thought it would, as it did in the first innings.”

England did put up an improved performance in the second innings, scoring 320 and, more importantly, batting out 126.1 overs as compared to the 20.4 they did the first time.

“We weren't good enough (in the first innings), simple as that,” accepted Joe Root, the England captain. “It’s very difficult to get back into a Test match from such a poor start. It's difficult to single any one thing out. More than anything, I suppose making sure we adapt quicker. We knew that it would swing and seam around and we didn't deal it very well.

“I thought the character of the dressing room was fantastic (on the final day). A day like today, to show much it means to play for your country, and play for England, I thought today was a great example of the guys’ determination and desire of representing the country.”

For a while, when Stokes (66) and Woakes (52) were in the middle – they added 83 runs in over 30 overs – it looked like England might be able to hold on for a draw. But Neil Wagner, who wasn’t even required to bowl in the first innings, peppered the English batsmen with short balls and broke through with Stokes' wicket. He ended with 3/77 in a marathon 32-over spell.

“We knew we were going to have to try and take it deep. Try to get the game into the night, hope that the ball does a bit – it didn’t do too much. The boys stuck it out though,” said Wagner, who called the win a ‘special feeling’.

One of the other heroes for New Zealand was Henry Nicholls. Playing just his 17th Test, Nicholls scored 145* - his second Test century – in close to seven hours to top score for his team and take the match far away from England.

“The way he fought through his innings and held on to execute his plans was world class. It was just a brilliant innings,” acknowledged Williamson.

Not to forget, it was the first day-night Test in New Zealand, and Boult, who didn’t need the twilight to run through England the first time and picked up two wickets in the final session on the fourth day, explained the pink-ball factor by saying, “At different times the ball moves around in different ways and if can see it consistently moving around from a bowling point of view we’ll be pretty happy.

“No doubt that the night session is probably where most of us like to operate as pace bowlers. To see a couple bouncing more than we were expecting was, yeah, probably got my tail up a little bit.”