Agency :
Joe Root scored a masterful 26th century and passed 10,000 Test runs as he steered England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand on day four of the LV Insurance series Test opener at Lord’s.
England resumed needing 61 runs with five wickets in hand to complete a chase of 277 having recovered from 69-4 the previous afternoon thanks principally to former captain Root (115no) and new skipper Ben Stokes (54).
Root, who began the day on 77, extended his sixth-wicket stand with Ben Foakes (32no) to an unbroken 120 as England secured a first Test victory in 10 attempts and ensured the Stokes and Brendon McCullum era got off to a victorious start.
New Zealand would have been buoyed by the damp and overcast conditions around Lord’s, as well as the length of England’s tail and the fact they could call on the second new ball in 15 overs if required.
But Root – whose 157-ball ton was his first in the fourth innings of a Test – and Foakes shone under leaden skies, meaning Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Matt Parkinson were not needed with the bat and that the game was wrapped up seven deliveries before the new ball became available.
Root pumped Tim Southee over midwicket for four to complete victory for England, who can now wrap up a first Test series win since January 2021 if they triumph at Trent Bridge from Friday.
Root reached three figures and became the 14th man, and joint-youngest, to reach 10,000 Test runs when he scored his 23rd run of the morning.
The Yorkshireman achieved the latter landmark at exactly the same age as Sir Alastair Cook (31 years, 157 days) – the only other Englishman with more than 10,000 Test runs – when he tucked Southee into the leg-side for two.
Sunday’s serene conclusion was in stark contrast to much of the rest of the Test, which was a frantic, see-saw affair with England well on top at stages but looking poised for another morale-sapping defeat at others.
Stokes’ side rolled New Zealand for just 132 on day one – debutant Potts and the recalled Anderson sharing eight wickets – but then capitulated from 59-0 to 141 all out in reply as their longstanding batting problems were in evidence yet again.
Potts, Anderson and Broad then reduced New Zealand to 56-4 in their second innings, at which point the Black Caps’ lead was a paltry 47 and a two-day finish, not seen at Lord’s since 1888, seemed plausible.
Daryl Mitchell (108 from 203 balls) and Tom Blundell (96 from 198) rescued New Zealand with a fifth-wicket partnership of 195 as the tourists’ advantage swelled to 242 – only for England to then launch a superb riposte with the ball on Saturday morning, taking six wickets for 34 runs.
