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Rediff.com  » Cricket » PHOTOS: Blistering Bairstow blasts England to victory over NZ

PHOTOS: Blistering Bairstow blasts England to victory over NZ

Last updated on: June 14, 2022 22:58 IST
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Images from Day 5 of the second Test between England and New Zealand at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday.

England batsman Jonny Bairstow celebrates his century

IMAGE: England batsman Jonny Bairstow celebrates his century. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow blasted a match-winning 136 from 92 balls to lead England to a remarkable five-wicket, second Test victory over New Zealand on Tuesday, clinching the three-Test series.

 

New Zealand were bowled out for 284 before lunch, setting England a target of 299 to win -- the highest ever to claim a Test victory at Trent Bridge.

It was a challenging target but England reached it in just 50 overs after Bairstow and skipper Ben Stokes (75 not out from 70 balls) made hay in front of a packed crowd.

The match set the record for the most boundaries in a Test match with 250 in total, including 24 sixes.

England were 139 for four at tea, having lost leading batsman Joe Root for three, with the game in the balance.

 

England captain Ben Stokes celebrates scoring the winning runs 

IMAGE: England captain Ben Stokes celebrates scoring the winning runs.Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

But then Bairstow and Stokes ripped the New Zealand attack apart in devastating fashion, hammering 102 in the first nine overs after the interval.

Stokes was hampered by a knee injury, but with Bairstow taking the lead, their partnership was worth 179 runs in 20.1 overs.

Bairstow flew to his century in 77 balls -- the second fasTest Test century by an England player, one ball slower than Gilbert Jessop's record against Australia at The Oval in 1902.

"It was great fun, one of those things when you get in that mood, just go with it. Do or die, so you've got to do," said Bairstow.

The Yorkshireman finally departed to a standing ovation after he was caught behind off Trent Boult, having hit seven sixes and 14 fours.

New Zealand's Tom Latham reacts as teammate Michael Bracewell drops a catch to gift England batsman Ben Foakes a reprieve 

IMAGE: New Zealand's Tom Latham reacts as teammate Michael Bracewell drops a catch to gift England batsman Ben Foakes a reprieve. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images

Stokes and Ben Foakes took care of the remaining 27 runs to soak up the cheers of a crowd that had been given free tickets for the match.

The win was a vindication of the positive approach taken by skipper Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum -- himself known for aggressive attacking cricket.

"Today was set up perfectly for how we want to go about it, run into the danger rather than back away or stand still," said Stokes.

New Zealand were left to ponder how they had lost the match after making 553 in their first innings but their decision to attack Bairstow with short pitched bowling after tea -- and to stick with that approach while he peppered the stand -- will feature heavily in their post-mortem.

The tourists were without their captain Kane Williamson in this Test, after he Tested positive for COVID, and seamer Kyle Jamieson was unable to bowl in the second innings due to a back injury, but this will be a tough loss to recover from.

IMAGE: England opener Zak Crawley is caught by Tim Southee at third slip off the bowling of Trent Boult during Day 5 of the second Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, on Tuesday. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Earlier, New Zealand set England a target of 299 to win the second Test -- and the series -- after they were bowled out for 284 at Trent Bridge on Tuesday.

In response, England made a swift start but lost opener Zak Crawley as they went in at lunch on 36-1, needing to make 263 more from the final two sessions to clinch the three-Test series.

An absorbing Test match now has the potential to become a classic with England to face a minimum of 63 more overs meaning they would need to score at a rate of 4.17 runs per over.

IMAGE: James Anderson celebrates dismissing Trent Boult. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

The record for a successful fourth innings run chase in a Test at Trent Bridge is 284 made by England against New Zealand in 2004.

All potential results remain possible but there was no sign of England playing conservatively for a draw as they took a positive approach to the nine-over session before lunch.

England's Alex Lees, struck three boundaries off the opening over from Tim Southee but Zak Crawley fell victim to Trent Boult, edging the left-armer to Southee at slip.

IMAGE:Daryl Mitchell hits out. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Lees continued to play his shots though, reaching 30 from 35 balls at the break with Ollie Pope on six.

New Zealand will be without seamer Kyle Jamieson, who has a back injury, but, with England having a long tail, they have every incentive to search for early wickets after lunch.

With the Kiwis resuming on 224/7, England hoped to quickly skittle out the final three wickets and give themselves a reachable target for the afternoon.

But Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten knock of 62, with Boult adding 17 as part of a 35-run last wicket partnership, moved the tourists into a stronger position.

IMAGE: Trent Boult hit a quickfire 17 from 15 balls, taking his Test match run aggregate to 640 runs from 79 innings -- the most runs by a No 11 in Test. He went past Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan's tally of 623 runs in 98 innings. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

England's morning started with Joe Root dropping Matt Henry at slip off Jack Leach's second ball but after a sustained spell of short bowling at his body, Henry was caught behind trying to hook Stuart Broad.

Jamieson went in similar fashion, trying to swipe a rising delivery from Broad and Ben Foakes safely snaffled up another catch.

Boult's opening run made him the highest scoring batsman at number 11 in Test history and, while there was a light-hearted appreciation of that milestone, the last man made an important contribution that may yet prove decisive.

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