NOTTINGHAM - Jonny Bairstow smashed England’s second-fastest Test hundred, from just 77 balls, as his side romped to a target of 299 against New Zealand and clinched a first series victory in 17 months in devastating style.
Bairstow (136 off 92 balls) looked on course to trump Gilbert Jessop’s record 76-ball ton, set against Australia at The Oval way back in 1902, during a staggering post-tea onslaught at a packed-out Trent Bridge. The Yorkshireman and skipper Ben Stokes (75no off 70) crunched 133 from the first 69 balls in the final session as New Zealand’s short-ball ploy backfired spectacularly and boundaries came at will.
Bairstow was on 43 from 48 balls when he strolled out after tea, with his team requiring a further 160 runs from 38 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest, having needed just shy of 300 from a minimum of 72 overs when the chase began.
Bairstow promptly nailed New Zealand seamer Matt Henry for back-to-back fours to bring up a 51-ball fifty - and reached three figures just 26 deliveries later after creaming Henry, Trent Boult and Tim Southee all around the ground and into the stands during a blistering display of batting.
Bairstow was eventually dismissed by Boult with 27 runs required - departing to a standing ovation - leaving Stokes and Ben Foakes (12no) at the crease as England cantered to a five-wicket win and the highest successful Test run chase seen in the stadium with 22 overs to spare.
Stokes sealed victory by slamming Boult through the covers for four as a Test that began with New Zealand piling on 553 runs after losing the toss ended with England toasting a truly remarkable triumph.
Bairstow and Stokes had joined forces at 93-4 in the 26th over once another promising innings from the growing-in-confidence Alex Lees (44 off 81 deliveries) had been ended by Southee. Lees had pumped the first two balls of the chase, bowled by Southee, through the off-side for four to reaffirm that England only had designs on winning the game, not batting out for a draw.
That was in stark contrast to the Lord’s Test against New Zealand a year ago when the hosts had opted against pursuing 273 from 75 overs and instead ground their way to a stalemate.
Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum have entirely shifted that mindset, as was evidenced by the way England sped home on Tuesday evening, the fans who had taken advantage of the offer of free tickets for day five royally rewarded for doing so.
Things had looked dicey for England when a double strike after lunch - Ollie Pope snicking Henry behind for 18 and Joe Root caught and bowled by Boult for three - had left them tottering on 56-3 in the 16th over, Zak Crawley (0) having glanced a Boult cutter behind 10 balls into the chase.
But crunching hitting later in the day saw England follow up last week’s five-wicket victory at Lord’s - just their second in 17 games - with another memorable triumph and they will now be seeking a clean sweep by winning the third and final Test at Clean Slate Headingley from June 23.
Scores in brief
ENGLAND 539 (Root 176, Pope 145, Lees 67, Foakes 56, Boult 5-106) and 299 for 5 (Bairstow 136, Stokes 75*, Lees 44) beat NEW ZEALAND 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106, Anderson 3-62) and 284 (Mitchell 62*, Young 56, Conway 52, Broad 3-70) by five wickets.
Bairstow (136 off 92 balls) looked on course to trump Gilbert Jessop’s record 76-ball ton, set against Australia at The Oval way back in 1902, during a staggering post-tea onslaught at a packed-out Trent Bridge. The Yorkshireman and skipper Ben Stokes (75no off 70) crunched 133 from the first 69 balls in the final session as New Zealand’s short-ball ploy backfired spectacularly and boundaries came at will.
Bairstow was on 43 from 48 balls when he strolled out after tea, with his team requiring a further 160 runs from 38 overs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest, having needed just shy of 300 from a minimum of 72 overs when the chase began.
Bairstow promptly nailed New Zealand seamer Matt Henry for back-to-back fours to bring up a 51-ball fifty - and reached three figures just 26 deliveries later after creaming Henry, Trent Boult and Tim Southee all around the ground and into the stands during a blistering display of batting.
Bairstow was eventually dismissed by Boult with 27 runs required - departing to a standing ovation - leaving Stokes and Ben Foakes (12no) at the crease as England cantered to a five-wicket win and the highest successful Test run chase seen in the stadium with 22 overs to spare.
Stokes sealed victory by slamming Boult through the covers for four as a Test that began with New Zealand piling on 553 runs after losing the toss ended with England toasting a truly remarkable triumph.
Bairstow and Stokes had joined forces at 93-4 in the 26th over once another promising innings from the growing-in-confidence Alex Lees (44 off 81 deliveries) had been ended by Southee. Lees had pumped the first two balls of the chase, bowled by Southee, through the off-side for four to reaffirm that England only had designs on winning the game, not batting out for a draw.
That was in stark contrast to the Lord’s Test against New Zealand a year ago when the hosts had opted against pursuing 273 from 75 overs and instead ground their way to a stalemate.
Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum have entirely shifted that mindset, as was evidenced by the way England sped home on Tuesday evening, the fans who had taken advantage of the offer of free tickets for day five royally rewarded for doing so.
Things had looked dicey for England when a double strike after lunch - Ollie Pope snicking Henry behind for 18 and Joe Root caught and bowled by Boult for three - had left them tottering on 56-3 in the 16th over, Zak Crawley (0) having glanced a Boult cutter behind 10 balls into the chase.
But crunching hitting later in the day saw England follow up last week’s five-wicket victory at Lord’s - just their second in 17 games - with another memorable triumph and they will now be seeking a clean sweep by winning the third and final Test at Clean Slate Headingley from June 23.
Scores in brief
ENGLAND 539 (Root 176, Pope 145, Lees 67, Foakes 56, Boult 5-106) and 299 for 5 (Bairstow 136, Stokes 75*, Lees 44) beat NEW ZEALAND 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106, Anderson 3-62) and 284 (Mitchell 62*, Young 56, Conway 52, Broad 3-70) by five wickets.
