Oliver Gildart try helps England to victory over New Zealand
The pivotal moment came in the 66th minute when John Bateman squeezed out a pass on halfway to Gildart, who evaded the challenge of second rower Isaac Liu and held off the chasers on a 40-metre dash to the line for a glorious try.
The score lifted both the 17,000-plus and the England players as they held on for a hard-fought victory that puts them 1-0 up in the series.
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Hide AdGildart told the BBC: "Unbelievable, I backed myself in space and luckily got over.
"It happens really quick, I sprinted as fast as I could! I am buzzing to make my debut for England and get the win. It was tough, a shock to the system."
Wigan's Sean O'Loughlin left the action early while George Williams and Sam Tomkins played key roles in the win, the latter opening the scoring for Wayne Bennett's outfit.
The second Test takes place at Liverpool's Anfield next Sunday before moving to Leeds' Elland Road the following week.