(Reuters) - England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening match of a three-test series against New Zealand at Christchurch's Hagley Oval on Thursday. His decision was unsurprising given the tinge of green on the wicket on a warm and sunny day in the south island of New Zealand.

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — England won the toss and chose to bowl against New Zealand on Thursday on the first day of the first test at Hagley Oval. The Black Caps come into the series following their 3-0 series win at India. They were the first team to sweep India in a home series of three tests or more.

New Zealand cricket might bend the knee to Australia, but they have just thrashed India 3-0. The Black Caps are ready to take down Bazball.

TL;DR: Live stream New Zealand vs. England for free on TVNZ+. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.England suffered a disappointing defeat against Pakistan in their last Test match series,

Welcome to the live coverage of 1st Test (Day 1) of England tour of New Zealand, 2024. Match will start at 03:30 AM