NOTTINGHAM:Jonny Bairstow hit a match-winning 136 off 92 balls to lead England to a historic five-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Test on Tuesday, winning the three-match series.
Before lunch, New Zealand were bowled out for 284 runs, giving England a 299-run target to win a Test match at Trent Bridge, the highest ever.
It was a difficult aim to achieve, but England did so in just 50 overs, owing to a one-of-a-kind show of raw power from Bairstow, who scored his eleventh Test century in just 77 balls.
Bairstow took one more delivery than Gilbert Jessop, who made a 76-ball century against Australia in 1902.
While Bairstow’s performance will not go down in history, it will be a footnote for the 32-year-old, whose display will live on in the minds of anyone who witnessed it.
Bairstow’s 92-ball masterclass left New Zealand confused, as he hammered 14 fours and seven sixes in front of a sell-out crowd at Trent Bridge.
Bairstow ensured England enjoyed another successful final-day chase after chasing down 277 to win the first Test at Lord’s by five wickets due to Joe Root’s 115 not out.
All four outcomes were likely at midday, with England needing 160 runs with six wickets remaining.
