NOTTINGHAM :Jonny Bairstow blasted England to a five-wicket win over New Zealand on the final day of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Tuesday as the home side won a series for the first time since January 2021.
England chased down 299 thanks to an astonishing display of raw power from Bairstow, who hit 136 off just 92 balls, and captain Ben Stokes, who hammered an unbeaten 75.
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.
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.
A 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.
“It was good craic (fun) wasn t it?” said the 32-year-old Yorkshireman. “When you ve got yourself in you ve just got to capitalise.
“We always said if we needed 160 in the last session, you back yourself to get that.
“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.”
