England's Bazball reset begins with 115-run win over New Zealand early on Day 4 at Lord's

England wrapped up a 115-run victory over New Zealand before lunch on Day 4 of the first cricket test at Lord’s on Sunday, marking a positive start to its “Bazball” reset after the Ashes humiliation Down Under.

Resuming on 55-5 and requiring 254 for an unlikely win, New Zealand lost its remaining five wickets inside the first two hours of play and was dismissed for 138.

England pacer Gus Atkinson finished with team-best figures of 5-30 on a challenging, bowler-friendly surface at the home of cricket that saw 24 batters out bowled or lbw.

It was fitting that the match ended with the middle stump flattened after Atkinson clean-bowled Kiwi tail-ender Matt Henry. That left Glenn Phillips stranded at the other end on 44 not out, making him New Zealand's top scorer of a disappointing test for the tourists.

“You've got to play what's in front of you, you've got to identify the conditions as a team and understand what you think is the best way for you to go out there and win,” England captain Ben Stokes said of the conditions in a match that lasted just 166 overs.

“And we did that better than New Zealand this week.”

This first test series of the summer has been regarded as a fresh start for England and its under-pressure leadership after a 4-1 loss to Australia during an Ashes tour featuring reports of excessive drinking and when England was accused of slack preparation and a wrong tactical approach.

The headline selections early in this second iteration of “Bazball” under coach Brendon McCullum and Stokes were opener Emilio Gay and seam bowler Ollie Robinson — and both delivered.

With a second-innings 57, Gay had the highest individual score from either team on his test debut.

Robinson, recalled for the first time since 2024 when he was dropped over misgivings about his fitness and attitude, took seven wickets in total (5-39 and 2-38) — three of them coming in his magical first over — and was named man of the match.

“He said before he bowled in that first innings that he was more nervous than he was on his debut,” McCullum said of Robinson. “His natural length was going to be successful on this surface ... he needed relentlessness and accuracy and being able to get the ball to seam. With his height and skills, he was always going to be a handful.”

What was already a tough position for New Zealand got even harder when Tom Blundell was trapped lbw by Josh Tongue in the seventh over of the day.

That left the tourists on 58-6 but a 53-run partnership between opener Devon Conway and Phillips gave them a fighting chance of a remarkable comeback.

Then Conway, surprised by the bounce of a delivery from Stokes, sent a leading edge to gully for the first of four dismissals in seven overs, ensuring New Zealand didn't even make it to lunch.

Given the state of the pitch, perhaps little should be gleaned from the second shortest completed test of the record 150 to take place at Lord’s. That was New Zealand captain Tom Latham's thought process, anyway.

“It's a surface that we weren’t expecting,” Latham said. “I don't think anybody expected a surface like that.”

“I think it's important we don't delve too much into this game. We understand we'll go to The Oval and conditions will be a lot better than they have been here.”

The second test of the three-match series is across London at The Oval, starting June 17.

Atkinson continued his love affair with the home of cricket, where he made his test debut two years ago and took 12 wickets in a win over West Indies to get on the Lord's storied honors boards.

Later that summer, he struck his maiden test century — against Sri Lanka — at Lord's, as well as getting another five-fer.

He was at it again Sunday, removing New Zealand's final three batters — Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson and Matt Henry — to get back on the honors board located inside the dressing rooms at the famous ground.

It was his fifth five-wicket haul in tests — and four of them have been at Lord’s.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Gus Atkinson holds the ball as he leaves the field after bowling out New Zealand's Matt Henry to win the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

England's Gus Atkinson, left, celebrates with captain Ben Stokes after bowling out New Zealand's Matt Henry to win the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

New Zealand's Nathan Smith reacts as he walks off the field after losing his wicket during the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

England's captain Ben Stokes celebrates the dismissal of New Zealand's Devon Conway during the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

New Zealand's Nathan Smith reacts as he walks off the field after losing his wicket during the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

England's captain Ben Stokes, right, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of New Zealand's Devon Conway during the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

New Zealand's Glenn Phillips plays a shot during the fourth day of the Test match between England and New Zealand at Lord's cricket ground in London, Sunday, June 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks are warning fans to bring as little as possible to Game 3 of the NBA Finals and encouraging them to arrive at least two hours before tipoff as part of enhanced security measures with President Donald Trump attending the game.

The Knicks said Saturday that a strict no-bag policy would be in place and there would be “TSA-style screening procedures” for fans when they enter Madison Square Garden for the game that is scheduled to begin just after 8:40 p.m. EDT.

Trump is a longtime Knicks fan who confirmed Friday that he would attend the first NBA Finals game in New York since 1999. He already has attended a number of major sporting events in his second term, including the 2025 Super Bowl, Daytona 500 and Ryder Cup.

The Knicks said there would be no storage at MSG for prohibited items brought to the arena. A list of them is available at https://www.secretservice.gov/prohibiteditems.

Trump’s visit also scuttled a Game 3 watch party outside MSG. The New York Police Department said in a statement the decision was made in coordination with the Secret Service.

“There will be no watch parties outside of Madison Square Garden for Game 3 only," the statement said. "This was done fully in coordination with the Secret Service because of the presidential visit. We expect watch parties at Madison Square Garden to resume for Game 4.”

Such parties, where thousands of fans pack in to watch the game on a big screen, have been a point of contention for the city’s police department, even without the complication of a presidential visit.

More than two-dozen people were arrested as Friday’s watch party spilled into the streets surrounding the Garden after the Knicks beat the Spurs in San Antonio. One woman was accused of punching a police officer in the face, the NYPD said.

Heading into the NBA Finals, the city had moved to cancel watch parties outside the arena altogether because of rowdy behavior at unofficial gatherings but later reversed itself and granted a permit for Game 1 last Wednesday.

Madison Square Garden indicated in a statement that the decision to cancel the outdoor party Monday was not mandated by Trump's presence.

“The permit for the Plaza33 Game 3 watch party was denied by the City’s permitting office in consultation with the NYPD. However, the White House will confirm that this is not about the president," an MSG spokesman said. "We understand NYPD Commissioner Tisch is planning additional street closures around Madison Square Garden.”

Team-sanctioned watch parties will go on at Wollman Rink in Central Park and Brooklyn Bowl, the Knicks website said. Both events required advanced registration and were already at capacity as of Sunday afternoon.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

FILE - Actor Elliott Gould, left, joins Donald Trump, center, and Marla Maples at courtside during an NBA basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, in New York, March 6, 1991. (AP Photo/Steve Freeman, File)

FILE - Donald Trump, right, talks to an unidentified man from the stands at Madison Square Garden during the New York Knicks game against the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 11, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)