New Zealand’s Bruce Martin took one wicket and came close to another as England reached 1-56 at lunch on the first day of the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday.
Left-armer Martin, the only specialist spinner in the side after New Zealand left out Doug Bracewell from what would otherwise have been an all-seam attack, struck with his seventh ball to remove Nick Compton for 16.
And 1-43 should have become 2-48 when Jonathan Trott, then on nought, miscued a drive only for Martin to drop the caught and bowled chance as he went to his right.
England captain Alastair Cook, who won the toss, was 30 not out and Trott, who got off the mark to the 18th ball he faced with a boundary off Martin, four not out at lunch.
Left-hander Cook, who won the toss, and Compton had made largely untroubled progress against the new ball, with the sunny blue skies overhead making conditions ideal for batting.
But New Zealand applied pressure with four consecutive maidens, including one from Martin, in the lead-up to Compton’s exit.
Martin then floated a delivery up to Compton and the batsman, trying to hit ‘inside out’, miscued and was well caught off the edge by Tim Southee, running back at point.
At lunch he had figures of 1-8 in five overs, including three maidens.
Earlier Graeme Swann, fit following an elbow injury, replaced Monty Panesar in the only change to the England side that drew the third Test against New Zealand at Auckland in March, when wicket-keeper Matt Prior’s unbeaten hundred helped stave off defeat and ensure a three-match series ended all square at 0-0.
New Zealand were unchanged, with this fixture the first of a two-match series that concludes with the second Test at Headingley starting a week on Friday.