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England and New Zealand are currently facing each other in the first Test of the ongoing three-match Test series at the prestigious Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. This England vs New Zealand match is already very special, but not because it is England’s opening Test of the 2026-27 season.
The England vs New Zealand Test match began on Thursday, June 4 at the famous “Home of Cricket” and has added another big moment to the ground’s long and distinguished history.
Lord’s celebrates record 150th Test match with first England vs New Zealand match
Lord’s is hosting its 150th Test match, and this is a record that no other cricket ground in the world has ever achieved in the traditional format of the game. Lord’s Cricket Ground is now the first stadium in the world to reach 150 Test matches, making it the most historic Test venue.
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Before the current England vs New Zealand Test match, Lord’s had already hosted 149 Test matches. Of these, 98 matches had a result, while 51 matches ended in a draw. Overall, batsmen have scored 143,786 runs here, while bowlers have taken 4,627 wickets at this venue.
Lord’s is followed by Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which has hosted 118 Test matches; Sydney Cricket Ground (114); Oval (108); and England’s Old Trafford (86). Other big venues such as Adelaide Oval (84), Headingley (82), Basin Reserve (70), Gabba (68), and Trent Bridge (67) also lag far behind Lord’s in Test match numbers.
The first morning of the international summer.
England vs New Zealand
150th Lord’s Test
House of Cricket pic.twitter.com/o2ZS8Ojkk1– Lord’s Cricket Ground (@HomeOfCricket) June 4, 2026
Joe Root leads the batting record at Lord’s
Meanwhile, Lord’s cricket ground is also a place where legends have created many records. England’s great batsman of the modern era, Joe Root, has been the most successful modern player on this field. He has scored more than 2,100 runs in Test matches at Lord’s.
Root has 8 centuries and 7 half-centuries to his name in Lord’s Test. He is followed by some of the great England batsmen like Graham Gooch (2015), Alastair Cook (1937), Andrew Strauss (1562) and Alec Stewart (1476), who have scored more runs than others at this position over the years.
James Anderson has the most wickets at Lord’s.
When it comes to bowling records at Lord’s, legendary England fast bowler James Anderson tops the list. He has taken 129 wickets in 29 Test matches at Lord’s between 2003 and 2024, making him the most successful bowler in the history of this ground.
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After Anderson, the list of highest wicket takers at Lord’s is Stuart Broad (113) and Ian Botham (69). Among foreign bowlers, New Zealand’s great Richard Hadlee holds the record for taking most wickets at Lord’s. He took 26 wickets in just four Test matches at this venue.
England in trouble at 31/2 after early collapse
Talking about the match, New Zealand won the toss and invited England to bat first in the opening match of the three-match Test series at Lord’s on Thursday.
The hosts got off to a very poor start as openers Ben Duckett (19) and Emilio Gay (8) were dismissed cheaply by Nathan Smith and Kyle Jamieson respectively. Now, with the score at 31/2 in 12 overs, Jacob Bethel joins Joe Root.