With a five-wicket victory against New Zealand in the first Test at Lord’s on Sunday, former England captain Joe Root gave his successor Ben Stokes a winning start to his reign.
After five years and a record 64 games as England captain, Root stepped down in April.
But he remains the team’s finest batsman, with his century at the ‘Home of Cricket’ setting the way for England’s second Test victory in 18 matches.
England took a 1-0 lead in their three-match series against the defending World Test champions with more than a day to spare.
After slumping to 69 for four, England ended on 279 for five, with Root 115 not out — his first fourth-innings century at this level — after England were given 277 to win.
After England began Sunday on 216 for five, he enjoyed good support from wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (32 not out) in an unbroken 120-run partnership, denying New Zealand a breakthrough.
With his 26th century at this level, Root became just the 14th batsman and only the second from England to achieve the milestone total of 10,000 career Test runs.
Root was also the joint-youngest player to reach 10,000 Test runs, matching retiring England captain Alastair Cook’s record of 31 years 157 days.
New Zealand bowled for 132 in their first innings, with England responding with a score of 141.
‘Mr. Dependable’
Joe Root, aka ‘Mr. Dependable’ sprang to his feet. What a player and a guy, scoring 100 and 10,000 runs, “remarked Stokes during the award ceremony.
Player of the Match, according to Root: “Obviously, it’s a terrific feeling. First and foremost, the greatest emotion of all is for us to have won this Test match after such a long period.
“I like the bunch of players we play, and I couldn’t ask for a finer individual to lead this group.”
“I felt both sides battled hard, and we saw how tough it was and how much it shifted throughout,” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said of the see-saw match. “But take nothing away from the quality of the English effort.”
England started this series; they’re first under new coach Brendon McCullum, a former New Zealand captain, at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.
Despite all the hype of a new era, England’s victory was largely due to some of the country’s most seasoned players.
READ MORE: Mitchell and Blundell Put New Zealand in Control Against England
Before Root’s match-winning century, the recalled new-ball combo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s two most successful Test bowlers, got crucial wickets.
With Root on 77 not out and England needing 61 more runs to win after Stokes’ blazing 54 on Saturday, play began on Sunday under a cloudy sky that was expected to benefit New Zealand’s quicks.
With 15 overs to go before New Zealand’s strong pace attack could take the new ball, no more specialist batters remained.
On the other hand, England steadily amassed runs until Root blasted Kyle Jamieson down the ground to take the score into the 90s on Sunday.
Root’s legside clip has been removed. Tim Southee guided him to a 157-ball century, which included nine fours, before hitting the winning runs by pulling the paceman for a four.
With a 90-run fifth-wicket stand, Root and Stokes had brought England back into the game from 69 for four.
On the other hand, Stokes was lucky to be given a reprieve after being bowled by Colin de Grandhomme off a questionable no-ball.
The 195, a New Zealand fifth-wicket record against England shared by Daryl Mitchell (108) and Tom Blundell, seemed to decide this Test’s deciding stand (96).
But, when New Zealand was going to put the game out of reach for England, they lost three wickets in a row, with Broad removing Mitchell and Jamieson on each side of de Grandhomme’s blunder.
On Friday, the series resumes at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
