Nick Compton’s set to nick top spot despite Joe Root’s remarkable run

Broad’s recent injury woes complemented by a loss of spark make Onions a viable contender if he can recapture the zest he shows for Durham.

Compton initially won and held the vacant opening batsman’s berth alongside Cook ahead of Root in India late last year and by picking him today it was clearly deemed to be his to lose. However, Root has burst on to the international scene like a meteor in the past two months.

His maiden Test innings of 73 in Nagpur — in a match nobody expected him to play — was followed by a litany of outstanding contributions in one-day internationals where his lowest score in seven innings is 28 not out and his average is 82.

While Compton by no means failed in his four Tests in India, nor was he an outrageous success conveying the impression he was here to stay. It was possible that England would decide that Root, at 22, was the man for the present as well as future and that Compton, at 29, had done his bit.

But by picking Compton now, they are also giving him the opportunity to play against Australia in two Ashes series later in the year which is a whole different ball game.

Short of match practice today, he could be forgiven the occasional play and miss against the new ball.

He demonstrated his chief virtues, patience and the willingness to leave the ball, which will have pleased his supporters. But after batting for a little under an hour he edged behind.

When Root dug in later, playing sensibly and never missing an opportunity to hit the bad ball, it offered pause for thought at least. Root and Bell put on 97 for the fifth wicket, much needed runs after England were 124 for four.

After Compton went neither Jonathan Trott nor Kevin Pietersen detained the New Zealanders for long. Trott was barely out of the blocks before he also edged Jimmy Neesham behind.

Pietersen was skittish throughout his innings of 35 minutes. He played shots that were not really suitable and was needlessly adventurous.

But he invariably treats warm-up matches in a dismissive fashion and it has little bearing on the three Tests which follow. He was caught at second slip for 14 after flashing at a wide one, also from Neesham.

Cook was out, also caught behind soon after lunch before Root and a typically bustling Matt Prior helped Bell to ensure England finished in the ascendancy.