Taha Hashim on two New Zealand bowlers who differ greatly in their approaches but caught the eye on day one at Bay Oval.

Colin de Grandhomme gives you belief because, suddenly, Test cricket seems realistic. Maybe you’ll go okay if someone doesn’t wake you up from the dream. Surely you can amble in and float the ball up there? It doesn’t need to be quick; it just needs to get to the other end.

But de Grandhomme isn’t a man to underestimate. He averages just under 40 with the bat in Test cricket and after the close of play on Thursday, 29.67 with the ball. Those are numbers you crave from a No.7 in Test cricket. And even if you live for the pace of men like Archer and Ferguson, you have to respect the skills of a man who isn’t bothered about touching 80mph.

So here he was, doing his thing. Rory Burns and debutant Dom Sibley had both handled the early threat of Boult and Southee, but then came the squeeze. Twelve runs from his opening five and the reward arrived as he tested Sibley’s technique outside off stump. A full delivery with plenty of shape invited a loose shot, with Ross Taylor in the slips gobbling up the batsman’s error. De Grandhomme doesn’t seem to be a man for theatrics: there was a gentle fist pump and a few high-fives to mark the breakthrough.

Now, Neil Wagner’s something else. He isn’t a man to guard his emotions. The eyes bulge, the veins throb and he lets the world know when he takes a wicket. He puts you off from your dreams of Test cricket. The lung-bursting run to the crease, the strain of pummelling the ball into the ground halfway down – Test cricket seems a pain that just ain’t worth it.

So here he was, doing his thing, as he went for Burns. Even if the left-hander showed some skill, Wagner was going to make him hurt. From a delivery around the crease, Burns dropped his hands and ducked, and still his left shoulder copped a blow.

After lunch, Wagner engaged in the most enthralling passage of play in the day, feeling the wrath of Joe Denly’s pull shots. There seemed almost a level of surprise that the right-hander could match Wagner’s efforts with such ease. And yes, those eyes were bulging.

While it was Wagner who caused physical pain, it was de Grandhomme who swooped in to take the wicket of Burns. It had been coming, with Burns so desperate to seize upon the slowest seamer, to remind him that such pace should be nowhere to be seen at this level. De Grandhomme jogged in for high-fives, barely celebrating. Just a man doing his nine-to-five.

He kept the dots flowing alongside Trent Boult against Joe Root, but now Wagner was allowed to celebrate: England’s best batsman was forced to end his torrid time at the crease as he guided the ball into the slip cordon. The force of Wagner had been felt.

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The final session proved a more taxing affair, particularly for Wagner, who was bested by Ben Stokes. He ended the day with an economy rate over three, but his 23 overs all had a bit of drama in them. He remains an enthralling cricketer to watch, predictable and still capable of causing the opposition great pain. De Grandhomme is a harmless butterfly in comparison, but his figures of 2-28 from just 19 overs show what an asset he is.

Boult & Southee are the iconic partnership, but the other guys do their bit, too.

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Match CoverageInternational CricketNew Zealand v EnglandNeil Wagner