Historic 150th Test Match at Lord's: England vs New Zealand

Lord's to Host Its 150th Test Match

The iconic Lord's Stadium in the UK is gearing up for its landmark 150th Test match, where England will face New Zealand for the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy this Thursday. According to reports, Lord's holds the record for hosting more Test matches than any other venue globally.

England and New Zealand's Test History at Lord's

Since its first Test in 1884, England has played 146 matches at Lord's, achieving 60 victories, suffering 35 defeats, and drawing 51. In contrast, New Zealand has managed to win only once in their 19 Test appearances at this historic ground, with their last victory dating back to 1999. Since then, they have faced four losses and drawn four out of six matches played here.

Key Player Milestones to Watch

Captain Ben Stokes, who will celebrate his 35th birthday on the first day of the Test, is on the verge of a significant milestone, needing just five more wickets to reach 250 Test wickets. Stokes has claimed 245 wickets across 120 matches, maintaining an average of 31.24, with his best bowling figures being 6/22. He has recorded nine four-wicket hauls and six five-wicket hauls.

Meanwhile, Joe Root, England's leading batsman, is on a quest to surpass the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's record of 15,921 Test runs. Currently, Root stands as the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, needing just 57 runs to become the second player to cross the 14,000-run mark. Over 163 Tests, he has amassed 13,943 runs at an average of 51.07, including 41 centuries and 66 fifties, with a top score of 262. At Lord's, Root has scored 2,166 runs in 23 Tests, averaging 55.53, with eight centuries and seven fifties.

Team Squads

England Squad

Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith(w), Ben Stokes(c), Shoaib Bashir, Josh Tongue, Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker

New Zealand Squad

Tom Latham(c), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell(w), Dean Foxcroft, Nathan Smith, Zakary Foulkes, Blair Tickner, William O'Rourke, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry.