England captain Ben Stokes expressed satisfaction with his side’s performance following a comfortable 115‑run victory over New Zealand in the opening Test at Lord’s. The win represented a notable rebound for the Three Lions, marking their first Test after a 4‑1 Ashes defeat to Australia.
“I’m not going to lie, I’m obviously very happy that we’ve won this week. I knew how big this game was in terms of the result and how it was going to be perceived externally if it didn’t go well. But it has gone well, though I won’t be really happy and smiling until I get up there and share a beer with the boys,” Ben Stokes was quoted as saying via Sky Sports.
Although celebrating the win, Stokes emphasized that England must not ease off the accelerator for the remainder of the summer. The team still faces five home Tests, including two against New Zealand and a three‑match series versus Pakistan in August.
“It would be easy to rest on your laurels. We’ve won the first game of the summer – it’s great that we’ve managed to do it, but we’ve got five more to go. We’ve got two more games against New Zealand, who are a quality team. We always have great battles against them. We’re one Test match down out of six, so there is a long way to go still,” he added.
Stokes’ personal contribution was modest; he scored only 12 runs in two innings, registering a duck in his second knock, and took a single wicket. Nevertheless, that wicket proved pivotal, as it dismissed Devon Conway and contributed to England’s triumph.