The result remained difficult to call early in the home side's innings but then Bairstow took matters into his own hands, reaching 50 from 51 balls after unleashing a boundary off Matt Henry. Mitchell top-scored with an unbeaten 62 and last man Trent Boult added a useful 17. The home side seized their chance in stunning style after bowling out the Kiwis for 284 in the first session of the final day. The victory was even more eye-catching because New Zealand, inspired by Daryl Mitchell's 190, scored 553 in the first innings after Stokes opted to bowl first.Įngland bailed out their captain by scoring 539 in their first innings, with former captain Root making 176 and Ollie Pope 145.
#GROWING UP SKIPPER SERIES#
Their desire for relentlessly positive and aggressive cricket has been embraced by England and they will seek to sweep the series in the final Test at Headingley from June 23.
It was the highest successful final-innings run chase in a Test at Trent Bridge, surpassing the previous record of 284 set by England against New Zealand in 2004.Įngland, who had won just one Test in 17 before this series, are gathering momentum under Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum after a miserable spell that included a 4-0 Ashes humbling. You let him go on and do what he needs to do."Īfter chasing down a target of 277 to win the first Test thanks to Joe Root's 115 not out, Bairstow ensured England enjoyed another successful final-day chase despite falling to 56-3 at one stage, with Root back in the dressing room.Īt tea, all four results were still possible, with England needing another 160 runs with six wickets left.īut the sensational Bairstow, supported by Stokes, demolished the world Test champions, who were without the services of injured paceman Kyle Jamieson. "When he has those eyes you're not stopping him. "I know we were three or four wickets down but we were brave enough to take the biggest challenge on and we took it straight from the horns."Ī delighted Stokes, in only his second match as England's full-time Test skipper, said: "I was out there for a while with him and he had the 'Jonny eyes'. "We always said if we needed 160 in the last session, you back yourself to get that. "When you've got yourself in you've just got to capitalise. "It was good craic (fun) wasn't it?" said the 32-year-old Yorkshireman. The win gives England an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series after their five-wicket victory in the first Test at Lord's.Ī capacity crowd in Nottingham was treated to a remarkable array of brutal batting from Bairstow, who hit 14 fours and seven sixes to leave New Zealand bewildered. Bairstow narrowly missed out on England's fastest Test hundred, taking 77 balls to reach three figures - one more than Gilbert Jessop, who scored a 76-ball ton against Australia in 1902.