This opening day was everything the series promised: hard-fought, close and shaky.
Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Hagley Oval, whose lawns were packed with spectators, it was hard to imagine a more perfect setting for Test cricket.
Stokes surprised no one in his hometown when he decided to take up field sports. Despite the sunshine, Latham said he would have done the same, as 12 captains have done in the last 13 Tests at the ground.
Whether England failed to get the ball in the right place often enough or whether the pitch didn't play its part is up for debate, but there didn't seem to be any obvious demons for the batsmen to battle.
England threatened ups and downs. Their fielding was sloppy at times – they failed to check Ravindra's lead over Stokes when he had 20, and the skipper's drop to Phillips is becoming increasingly important. The tourists gave away 21 runs in wides and no-balls.
Despite all this, they persevered. Ollie Pope, who was behind the stumps, went unnoticed and Stokes invoked the short-ball tactic. Most importantly, after a disappointing tour of Pakistan, Bashir became a threat to the wicket by slowing his pace.
This pitch is expected to get better for batting. England can be happy with their work, even if the dangerous Phillips could still have a big impact on New Zealand.