17 wickets fall as England take control on another action-packed day
Michael Vaughan expressed sympathy for the batters due to the condition of the Lord's pitch following 33 wickets falling over the first two days of the opening Test between England and New Zealand.
The New Zealand team ended the second day at 36-3, chasing a target of 254 runs, leaving England seven wickets away from victory.
While England are optimistic about securing a morale-boosting win after their Ashes defeat in Australia earlier this year, several former players have raised concerns about the quality of the pitch at the home of cricket.
Sixteen wickets fell on a rain-affected first day, with an additional 17 wickets taken in 79 overs on day two as batters struggled with inconsistent bounce and significant lateral movement off the surface.
"It's not a test for the bowlers, because it has been too easy. This isn't a fair balance between bat and ball," former England captain Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special.
"The MCC [Marylebone Cricket Club] know this pitch isn't up to standard.
"I feel sorry for the batters. This is the best place to play cricket. I feel very fortunate that I didn't have to bat on many pitches like this."
New Zealand require a further 218 runs to win, a challenging prospect unless the pitch conditions change significantly.
"England will be thinking they need to keep it very simple," Vaughan added.
"It's not a challenge for the bowlers – they just need to run up and hit a length. You know the pitch will do the rest.
"That's not Test cricket, that is not skill. That's not testing physicality or skillset.
"Bowlers have had a week when they've had plenty in their favour. New Zealand have to work out the best way to get 218 runs. I would say: swinging.
"We've just [seen] Kane Williamson, one of the great technicians, the ball thudded into his back pad. There was nothing he could do about that.
"If I'm watching that from the New Zealand dressing room, I'm not allowing that to happen. I'm going to go out and play a few shots."
The MCC have declined to comment on the pitch conditions.
England have huge chance amid more Lord's chaos
'Dig it up and start again' - does the square need replacing?
New Zealand took three wickets in five balls during the match.
This is not the first occasion in recent years that the Lord's pitch has faced scrutiny.
Concerns were also raised during the 2025 World Test Championship final when 14 wickets fell on each of the first two days.
In contrast, a thrilling Test between England and India just a month later lasted the full five days, but this year's pitch may cause the match to conclude within three days.
The difficulties faced by batters were highlighted by a delivery from New Zealand seamer Matt Henry that barely rose above ankle height before striking the stumps, leaving England's Jacob Bethell with no opportunity to respond.
"This is a really poor pitch. This is not the standard of pitch you'd expect for a Lord's Test, and they've got to do something about it," BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew said.
"You can't keep playing on this particular strip and it will cost them a lot of money.
"The bounce is uneven, there is too much seam movement. It is nipping quickly. That [Jacob] Bethell delivery was utterly unplayable. This is not a pitch that is good for Test cricket."
Former England captain Nasser Hussain, speaking on Sky Sports, added:
"It has lacked pace but when it has got quicker, it starts misbehaving upwards.
"As a batter, nothing is worse than up and down bounce. Then you've got to factor in the seam movement and the slope, batting becomes impossible.
"This ground has got so much going for it, but the bit in the middle is the most important bit and it's not good enough at the moment."
With a women's Test between England and India scheduled for July, followed by the men's team facing Pakistan over five days in August, there is limited time for substantial changes to be implemented this summer.
However, questions remain whether the issues with the square will compel the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to consider relocating Tests away from Lord's while the pitch problems are addressed.
"What do the ECB do, if they have to dig up the pitch and start again? It means no cricket here for two years," former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull told Sky Sports.
"That becomes an ECB problem. They have to combine with the MCC and say, 'sorry, we're going to take games away from you because the pitch is not up to standard'.
"So until the ECB decide that they will take action by taking games from Lord's, it doesn't force the MCC's hand to get the pitch done.
"The outfield is magnificent and I feel for the groundstaff because they are working with a tired, old block of turf that is just not conducive to anything they want to do with it.
"They are trying everything, it's not like they are poor groundstaff. But they are operating with a very poor surface and everything underneath it, and it needs replacing."
- Watch Today at the Test on BBC
- TMS podcast: Wickets galore but Gay stands tall
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