ENG vs NZ: Neil Wagner's moment of kindness for a spectator wins hearts

On day 1 of the ongoing first Test match at the home of cricket, Lord’s witnessed some incredible bowling performances that saw 17 wickets fall during the day and the batters struggling to cope with the seam movement. While the on-field moments made the day of the passionate cricket enthusiasts and viewers, there was a wonderful gesture that was showcased off the field, which was heartwarming.

The person who showed a great amount of kindness was none other than one of New Zealand’s lethal Test pacers Neil Wagner. It is to be noted that Wagner was benched for the opener and he was sitting on the sidelines wearing bibs.

While the contest was in progress, the cameras focused on the pace sensation walking toward the stands and gifting a pair of pads to one of the spectators after which he walked downstairs and started signing autographs for the fans seated in the first row.

Watch the video of Neil Wagner’s moment of kindness here:

Neil Wagner gifted a pair of pads to one of the fan at Lord's. What a wonderful and sweet gesture by Wagner! pic.twitter.com/h4dfQERKXG

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 2, 2022

Wagner was excluded from New Zealand’s playing XI as the visitors decided to field three seasoned pacers for this match including the likes of Tim Southee, Trent Boult, and Kyle Jamieson.

Coming back to the contest, the England bowlers decimated the New Zealand batting line-up reducing them to 45/7 after winning the toss and electing to bat first. The reigning World Test champions could eventually manage 132 courtesy of some middle-order resistance from Colin de Grandhomme (42*) and Tim Southee (26) as veteran James Anderson and Matthew Potts registered four wickets each.

England in reply got a solid start with openers adding 59 runs for the first wicket. However, once Zak Crawley was dismissed for 43, it all fell apart for the hosts as they suffered an awkward batting collapse that saw them lose their next six wickets for just 41 runs. They went to stumps with the scorecard reading 116/7 with a first-innings deficit of 16 more runs. Southee, Boult, and Jamieson picked up two scalps apiece.