England vs. New Zealand: Winners and Losers from 1st Test

If the opening Test is anything to go by, England cricket fans are in for a real roller-coaster ride this summer.

Alastair Cook's side recorded a 124-run victory over New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, though the final result doesn't come close to telling the entire story.

The hosts had found themselves 30 for four on the first morning, and although they rallied to make 395, the Kiwis still went on to claim a sizeable first-innings lead.

Kane Williamson hit 132 to help the tourists amass 523, and they looked firmly on top when they reduced England to 73 for three in their second innings.

However, contrasting centuries from Cook and Ben Stokes, not to mention 84 from Joe Root, dug England out of trouble. They eventually set their opponents a target of 345 on the final day.

New Zealand quickly stumbled to 12 for three and were never able to fully recover, eventually being bowled out for 220 with 9.3 overs remaining in front of a full house at the home of cricket.

Here, we pick out the winners and losers from a Test that was a fabulous advert for the longest form of the game. 

Things could not have gone much better for the England and Wales Cricket Board over the past week.

The attention at the start of the English summer has been focused on issues away from the middle.

Andrew Strauss, director of England cricket, had a difficult start to his new role, having decided to sack coach Peter Moores and confirm the continued absence of Kevin Pietersen from the international fold.

However, the game at Lord's arrived at the perfect time for the ECB.

All talk about potential new coaches and a lack of KP in the team quickly disappeared, thanks to the performance of the team on the field with the crowds flocking in to watch England.

They were queuing outside the famous ground on the final morning to get in and watch, showing the appetite the public still has to watch Test cricket.

Not only was it good for the ECB's coffers, the win was the ideal beginning to a huge summer that includes a five-match Ashes series against Australia.

With a winning start to the campaign, and a new coach in Trevor Bayliss set to be appointed, per Ali Martin of the Guardian, things are looking rosy in the English garden.

It was a tough Test for Brendon McCullum and not just because his side ended up on the wrong end of the result.

New Zealand's captain only flew into England just before the start of the series, having been busy playing in the Indian Premier League.

He batted in the first innings like he was still playing Twenty20 cricket, swinging and swiping his way to 42 off 38 deliveries before being caught in the deep.

The second time around, he dropped down one spot in the order and then registered a first-ball duck when he finally made it out to the middle.

Stokes produced a superb inswinger that McCullum deflected onto his own stumps, leaving the tourists struggling at 61 for five.

They were never able to hang on in the final session, meaning a match the Black Caps had controlled for long periods had slipped away from them in the closing stages.

Cook silenced a few doubters with his display at Lord's, not just with the bat but also in terms of his captaincy.

Having looked back to somewhere near his best form on the recent tour of the Caribbean, the left-hander started a busy summer with a big score.

In England's second innings, the captain stood up to be counted when his side needed him, making 162 from 345 deliveries.

He occupied the crease for nine hours, and although Stokes stole the headlines with his batting feats, Cook's knock should not be overlooked.

His captaincy was put to the test as New Zealand piled on the runs in their first innings.

He did, though, shuffle his bowlers around—a positive sign, considering in the past, he has relied too heavily on the experienced duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

On the final day, Cook was cautious with his field settings, such as persisting with a third man when the opposition were three down inside six overs.

However, he did rotate his attack in a dramatic final session, then positioned Moeen Ali perfectly at third man to take the catch that sealed a memorable victory.

It is difficult to pick out negatives for England, considering they performed so impressively, particularly from such a perilous early position.

However, the top order continues to be an area of concern looking ahead.

While Root had a strong match with the bat, two of his Yorkshire colleagues found the going much tougher against New Zealand's trio of seamers.

Debutant Adam Lyth made seven and 12 in his two knocks, falling to Tim Southee the first time around before Trent Boult dismissed him on the third evening.

Gary Ballance, meanwhile, managed one solitary run in the match.

The left-hander's technique of hanging back in the crease caused his downfall on both occasions, though he can be excused a couple of failures after such an excellent start to his Test career.

Stokes was undoubtedly England's star turn in their victory.

The Durham player twice played crucial innings with the bat to help dig his team out of tricky situations.

On Day 1, he came out at 30 for four and, along with Root, launched a counter-attack that turned the tide. He was eventually dismissed for 92, bowled when failing to offer a stroke.

His second-innings knock, however, will be one that will be remembered for a long time.

Coming in at 232 for four with England holding only a narrow lead, the left-hander proceeded to blast the fastest Test century ever seen at Lord's.

He hit three sixes and 15 fours as he reached three figures in 85 balls, making it the second quickest hundred by an Englishman.

Not content with his batting exploits, Stokes picked up three crucial wickets on the final day, including dismissing the key duo of Williamson and McCullum in successive deliveries.

Unsurprisingly, he was named man of the match.

It also was hardly shocking to hear the names Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff mentioned in connection with his performance—England may have just found another top-class all-rounder.

New Zealand offspinner Mark Craig finished with match figures of two for 196 at Lord's.

He was never expected to have too much of an impact in England's first innings, considering the conditions favoured their seam bowlers.

However, on Day 4, Craig was seen as a crucial part of the Black Caps' plan to push for victory.

Yet not only did he fail to pose too much of a threat, he also couldn't hold down one end for his skipper, McCullum.

Craig went at 4.27 runs an over in England's second innings—his only wicket arrived when Stokes was caught at the slip trying to launch the slow bowler over mid-wicket.

To wrap up a disappointing game, the 28-year-old contributed a combined total of four runs with the bat.

He was the penultimate wicket to fall on the final evening, Stokes getting his revenge by bowling his fellow left-hander off his pad.

All stats used in the slideshow were taken from ESPN Cricinfo.