Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"If they just hang around they will get the odd ball to score off. Bell's shot was poor, he was on the walk, he didn't give himself any chance of playing it well. I don't know if his mind has gone because he's dropping catches and that's four knocks without many runs."

Allan S: Re Merlyn (11:10) - because he has thousands of Test runs and more than 20 Test tons? The pressure thing is old news as well.

Haroon Junaidi: England should not look at this series as preparation for Ashes. Each match should be played like a cup final.

On comes Matt Henry for his first over of the day, replacing Southee. Cook keeps things sensible, leaving anything off the stumps and flicking a straight one through square to add two to the total. England are in survival mode. They could do with Bear Grylls out there.

Jon: This was football, not cricket, but a mate used ripped up Spider Man pants as sock ties! (Other super hero briefs are available)

Tony Cocozza: I simply don't believe that we don't have better batsmen than this lot plying their trade in the county game. It is the selectors who need our criticism.

Nat: I wonder who could replace a struggling Ian Bell at number four...

These are tense, nervous, watch through your fingers times for England. Root is caught on the back pad by an inswinger from Southee that causes a huge, mass appeal from the tourists. It is close, but deemed to be missing down leg by the on-field umpire. Replays show it was a good call. There are more hooping balls out there than the Swingball factory.

The catch has come about from a Root flick off Boult that has the fielder at square-leg diving in to try and claim. Root was denied a similar catch yesterday courtesy of the judgment of Rod Tucker and his video equipment. If that wasn't a catch, then this surely can't be.... No, it's not. Root survives. Huge relief for England. It is Root's first aberration, a ball after driving his first four down the ground.

England hearts in mouths. We are going to have a replay to see if Joe Root has been caught at square-leg.

Image source, AP

Adam Wheeler: Here comes Root to dig England out of a hole. He can't do it all of the time. He will be the Aussies' target in the Ashes.

Chris Giles: Good to see how well a team performs when there are no 'trust issues'!

New Zealand haven't had a worry in the world for the first 20 minutes of this session. They may have one now, though, as Brendon McCullum mis-fields to gift England three runs and then drops to the turf gripping his hamstring. It would be a disaster for the tourists to lose their skipper. As he limps around the field, Cook asserts himself by flicking a wayward Southee ball fine for four. The McCullum situation is one to watch.

Boom: Ding Ding your time is up.

Sue: Oh dear, an early wicket. And so the endless negativity from England 'fans' begins...

Finally, a cheer from the Lord's crowd as Cook steers a shortish ball from Boult down to the wide third-man boundary for the first boundary of the day, the first runs of the day. It is a very tentative cheer, though. The kind you might hear for a last-minute consolation goal from a side who are already 5-0 down.

Graham Gooch watches on at Lord's. His glum face says it all. Joe Root watches another Southee over go by. No shot played unless it is necessary. How Joe would love to be coming to the wicket in a position of strength. Unfortunately, he is an England middle-order batsman. It is not in the current job description.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at Lord's

"I was at the bottom of the media centre, which backs on to the nets on the Nursery Ground, when the wicket of Ian Bell went down. Moeen Ali immediately began to make his way round to the pavilion. He wasn't getting caught out again."

Jon: Hats off to you for the gonzo socks, put some thought into it myself and went with Kermit ones this morning, the frog was a natural born leader...well kind of! And that's what we need from our two experienced hands at the crease today!

Luce in Manchester: When I played cricket for a local ladies team I used to wear knee high rainbow toe socks on match day.

As you'd expect, it is Trent Boult opening up with Southee. He finds a superb line and length outside off stump that has Cook pondering a shot or two but opting against anything rash. If ever a side needed a captain's innings it is England right now.

Merlyn: Ah Ian Bell you don't disappoint. Why are we sticking with him? Always always crumbles under pressure.

Freddie Jones: Start game at 11, wicket lost by 11.01.. Only England.

Image source, PA

England are on the rack. Root is welcomed to the crease with another belter from Southee that rises from a length and zips away from his outside edge. You can stick a silver fern in that first over. New Zealand owned it.

Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

"Beautiful delivery by Southee, started about off stump, full length, enticing the drive. It swung away beautifully and a good catch by Latham - you could see the relief on his face. Worst possible start for England."

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. To only the third ball of the day, Bell reaches for a full outswinger from Southee that takes a nick and is claimed by a delighted Latham. Once again, England are going to be reliant on the class of Joe Root to dig them out of a deepening hole.

Image source, Getty Images