England traditionally welcomes touring teams with the tranquil joys of Arundel in April. Australia has lovely Lilac Hill. But there's no equivalent in New Zealand – which is strange because it's staring them in the face. Queenstown's Events Centre is prosaically named but oh-so-poetically situated. If God were a cricket fan, this is where He would choose to spend His retirement. It really is something else. Nestled between the craggy Coronet Peak and the Remarkables mountains – freshly kissed by snowfall last night – the Events Centre is also a five-minute paraglide away from the idyllic Lake Wakatipu, where thrill-seekers congregate to enjoy the biggest adventure playground in the world. After yesterday's scorcher, there was rain in the air today, but the ground still looked a picture, and little blue bi-planes still buzzed dangerously close as they approached the neighbouring airfield. For passengers flying in on a day trip, it really was a case of going to heaven and back.

This was only the second big match Queenstown has hosted, but since the other was Otago v Wellington in the one-day State Shield, today was its first real moment in the sun. So it was a shame when the sun struggled to break through and dry the ground after a night of heavy rain. The England players milled around as if they were about to start a game against Cambridge University at Fenner's, and about 300 spectators waited lazily on the grass bank that encircles the playing area. Young autograph hunters rushed from one target to the next and a pocket of England fans got out their bat and ball. It may have been mid-tour, but it felt like the first day of the season.

When play finally got under way at 1.10pm, we were treated to the almost dazzling sight of cricket whites, which combined with the crisp alpine air to lend a purity to proceedings. An aesthete's delight after a winter of black and blue.

But there was nothing aesthetic or delightful about England's batting, which creaked like a cupboard door that had been kept shut for too long. Mark Ramprakash spent 27 balls dusting off the cobwebs before he was bowled by a shooter for 1, and Usman Afzaal, who hasn't played a game in earnest since the end of the English season, didn't even get as many as that.

Otago are generally considered to be the worst team in New Zealand – by a long way. Last season they lost their only three established Test players, Mark Richardson, Matt Horne and Paul Wiseman, and this year they have lost seven first-class games out of seven. But they still made mincemeat of England's top order. When the black clouds returned for good at 4pm, Otago had reached their strongest position of the season. Maybe they'll encourage touring sides to come here more often from now on.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com. You can read his reports here throughout the tour.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd