Twitter reacts as Bairstow, Stokes power England’s record-speed run-chase against New Zealand at Trent Bridge

Jonny Bairstow stroked a brilliant 92-ball 136, registering England’s second-fastest Test hundred ever, to help the hosts gun down a 299-run target in just 50 overs on the final day of the Trent Bridge Test.
 By CX Staff Writer Updated: Jun 14, 2022, 22:43 IST
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England scored 59 from the first four overs after the Tea break.

England have had a brilliant start to the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era, following their brilliant run-chase at Lord’s with an even more fascinating one at Trent Bridge.

The hosts managed to bag New Zealand’s final three wickets within the first session of the fifth day’s play, with Daryl Mitchell staying unbeaten at 62 in an innings that ended at 284. He added 35 for the last wicket with Trent Boult, who now has the most runs from No.11 in Test cricket history.

England needed 299 runs to win with a minimum of 72 overs left in the day’s play, and all three results appeared likely at that point. Alex Lees struck three fours in the first over off Tim Southee to offer early signs of what the approach would be, but all of that would turn out to be footnotes on a day Bairstow unleashed his belligerent best.

He walked in to bat at the fall of the in-form Joe Root in the second session, and 56/4 would become 93/4 within an hour, leaving England 206 away with six wickets in hand. Bairstow and Stokes went in to Tea at 139/4 from 34 overs, setting it up for an exciting finish.

The final session at Trent Bridge witnessed some of the most breathtaking display of ball-striking, let alone in a Test match, on a day the venue had offered free tickets to the spectators. The first four overs yielded 59, with boundaries flying off Bairstow’s blade, largely against the short-pitched bowling, at a monotonous ease. The right-hander would get to his ninth Test ton off the 77th ball, the second fastest ever for England, after Gilbert Jessop had got it one ball quicker against Australia at The Oval in 1902.

The 179-run stand came off mere 20.1 overs, and ended with Bairstow edging one behind off Trent Boult for 136, not before striking 14 fours and seven sixes.

Stokes remained unbeaten on 75 off 70 with 10 fours and four sixes, striking the winning runs to the deep extra cover boundary, much like he’d done in his Ashes Headingley epic three years ago.

A staggering 250 boundaries (fours and sixes combined) were hit in the game - the highest count in a Test match ever.

Here are the best reactions on England’s win:

 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

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