Summary New Zealand, Nick Compton's wild swipe at spinner Bruce Martin got him out for 16 at 43-1.
LONDON (AP) - New Zealand was on top after the first session of the first test at Lord s, leaving England on a subdued 56-1 on Thursday.
Summer conveniently broke out on the opening morning of the English international season but the action on the pitch wasn t as illuminating.
Pressure brought to bear by New Zealand meant England scored at a tranquilizing pace, and the only wicket to fall was a reward for frustration. After four straight maiden overs by New Zealand, Nick Compton s wild swipe at spinner Bruce Martin got him out for 16 at 43-1.
His replacement, Jonathan Trott, was lucky to survive a dropped catch by Martin.
Trott was 4 not out at lunch beside captain Alastair Cook, who won the toss and elected to bat and was 30 not out from 93 balls.
New Zealand, playing the same 11 which drew all three home tests against England in March, wanted to bowl and found their line and length quickly but little swing under the blue skies.
Trent Boult, coming downhill from the Pavilion end, was respected enough to give up only one run off the bat in his first five-over spell. On the other hand, Tim Southee, coming off a foot injury in the warm-up match, took a little longer to warm up and gave Cook and Compton their first runs.
New Zealand maintained four in the slips for Boult, Compton and Neil Wagner, and didn t spread their field until after 20 overs, when Martin was introduced into the attack.
The last man picked by New Zealand, which considered an all-out pace attack, struck in his second over. Compton attempted an off-drive but only swiped at the ball which arced to point, where Southee took a diving, two-handed catch.
Compton trudged off for 16 off 62 balls, none reaching the boundary.
Trott was lucky not to fall for a duck in Martin s third over, when his timid chip went through Martin s arms.
Trott finally got off the mark, after 18 balls, with a four through cover in the last over before lunch. It was only the third boundary of the session. Cook got the other two and brought up England s 50 in the 26th over.
