NZ vs ENG: Ben Stokes falls prey to Scott Kuggeleijn as debutant claims his maiden Test wicket

Ahead of the first Test between New Zealand and England at Bay Oval, there were a lot of controversies surrounding the Kiwi pacer Scott Kuggeleijn. The selectors faced a lot of criticism for picking the pacer as he was arrested in 2015 after being charged with rape. However, despite all the objections, the team management backed him and handed him his debut Test cap for the game.

Speaking about the game, the debutant proved to be expensive initially but managed to pick up two wickets in the match. To claim his very first wicket in red-ball cricket, the 31-year-old dismissed England skipper Ben Stokes, who was batting on 19. The all-rounder failed to connect the bouncer and made it rather easy for Tom Latham to take the catch in the mid-wicket region. The Kiwi players were delighted following the dismissal and later celebrated with him after his debut wicket.

Stokes falls....

The England captain picks out Tom Latham to give Scott Kuggeleijn his first Test match wicket ☝️#NZvENG pic.twitter.com/XzAnzTlvJm

— Cricket on BT Sport (@btsportcricket) February 16, 2023

He also dismissed Stuart Broad later in the game. However, the cricketer will need to get better with his line and length and he conceded over six runs per over in the first innings before England declared at 325/9.

Duckett and Brook take charge in first innings

After Zak Crawley’s early dismissal, Ben Duckett took responsibility and gave England a perfect start in the match. The 28-year-old played his natural game, scoring 84 off just 68 deliveries. Ollie Pope supported him well in the middle as the youngster chipped in scoring 42 runs. However, after their dismissal, England looked a bit shaky as they lost two quick wickets in the form of Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

However, Harry Brook rose to the occasion and played some remarkable shots to help England cross the 300-run mark. The 23-year-old scored 89 off 81 deliveries before Neil Wagner got the better of him. 

Soon after his dismissal, England's batting unit fell like a house of cards before declaring their innings on 325 runs. Wagner was New Zealand’s hero with the ball, picking up four wickets while skipper Tim Southee and Kuggeleijn picked up two each. Meanwhile, another debutant Blair Tickner picked up the wicket of Duckett.

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