Jonny Bairstow’s magical century leads England to victory
On the fifth day of the second Test of the ongoing Three-match series played at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, England routed a daunting 299-run target by chasing it down on June 14, 2022, to make some interesting changes in the ICC World Test Championship points table. With 56, 52, and 62*, Devon Conway, Will Young, and Daryl Mitchell scored half-centuries to help New Zealand make 284 in the second innings. Thanks to a 14-run advantage in the first innings, a difficult 299 target was posted up for the Ben Stokes-led England team.
Trent Boult and Joe Root both got three as Zak Crawley was bowled by Trent and Joe Root was bowled by Tim Southee for 0, while Matt Henry sent Alex Lees packing for 44 runs and Tim Southee dismissed Pope for 18. England is 93/4 in the chase, with tension building in the three lions’ camp. On a day when gates were opened up at Trent Bridge, Bairstow aggressively seized the moment by scoring 136, 92 of which came as a 12-ball hundred. This Test victory, which was based on aggressive batting and the idea that you can win from anywhere, was the real thing.
England’s resilience paid off
Bairstow recorded an innings of 53 in the first three Tests of the summer, but he exploded for an unbeaten 53 in the evening session. It appears that he consumed a spinach sandwich before the late-night match. Popeye, a muscular foreman, hammered 93 in 44 balls after tea to establish a victory for England. His century came in only 77 balls, making it the quickest by an England player in 120 years.
He decimated New Zealand in an hour after tea by smiting 17 sixes and seven fours, propelling England to a five-wicket win and their first triumph in 18 months. In terms of run rate, his 179-run stand with Ben Stokes was the third-fastest ever in terms of run rate, coming in 20.1 overs at 8.87 runs per over. They scored 109 in nine overs after tea – 84 of them by Bairstow. They turned a 299 target in 72 overs into a white ball run chase, requiring just 50 overs to win, by smashing 84 runs in nine overs after tea. Joe Root contributed only three runs in nine innings to help his team win. This team hasn’t won for a long time, so when Joe Root said ‘do or die’, they got up off the canvas. New Zealand had a bowler short, but the game was over in a flash.
England Second Innings (ENG Wins)
| RUNS | B | 4S | 6S | SR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.Z. Lees | 44 | 81 | 7 | 1 | 54.32 | |
| Z. Crawley | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| O.J.D. Pope | 18 | 34 | 3 | 0 | 52.94 | |
| J.E. Root | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 75.00 | |
| J.M. Bairstow | 136 | 92 | 14 | 7 | 147.83 | |
| B.A. Stokes (c) – Not out | 75 | 70 | 10 | 4 | 107.14 | |
| B.T. Foakes – Not out | 12 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 80.00 | |
| Extras | 11 | |||||
| Total | 299 |
After smashing 136 off 85 balls, Bairstow kept hitting, punishing the supporters until he was out for 136 with only 27 required to win. Stokes, who injured his knee cartilage years ago, still managed to hit a six off the Radcliffe Road stand’s third tier. His 75 off 70 balls was crucial. Had he gotten out, New Zealand would have been in trouble if they had been hit with a lower order, but in the end Bairstow made him a footnote. Bairstow cruelly took down Michael Bracewell, batting for only 60 off eight overs, Tom Southee not doing very well, giving away more than six runs an over.
England put on a thrilling show for five days that left fans spellbound. A new record for the most runs in a Test was set, as 1,675 were scored over the course of five days, the second-highest ever. In addition to 224 fours and 24 sixes, a new record was set for the most boundaries in a match. It’s a pity the umpires don’t get a workout like that.