Star: Jonny Bairstow
(Picture: PA)Two proud sons of Yorkshire, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, were batting before a healthy day five crowd at Headingley as England waltzed to a seven-wicket victory that completed a 3-0 whitewash over New Zealand.
Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, the new captain and coach, have overseen an incredible turnaround for England, who had won one of their previous 17 Tests.
England became the first team to chase more than 250 in a single series. This chase, with 295 the target, sat between the 277 at Lord’s and the 299 at Trent Bridge. Each has been easier than the last.
New Zealand have played their part in this series, and had moments of poor fortunes, especially in the First Test at Lord’s. They lost a bowler to injury in the first two matches and here, they have looked very tired.
England resumed needing 113 to win, with eight wickets in hand. To the fifth ball of the day, a nice nip-backer from Tim Southee, they lost Ollie Pope for 82, ending what has been an impressive first series at No3.
Out came Bairstow, and a little over an hour later, England had won.
Bristling with attacking intent and having made outrageous centuries in his last two innings, Bairstow coasted his way to England’s second-fastest Test fifty. It took 30 balls, two slower than Ian Botham’s effort in Delhi in 1981.
We’ve done things differently.
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 27, 2022
We’ve loved it.
We hope you have too 🏏 🏴 🦁 pic.twitter.com/JYQqNIYytw
It was appropriate that Bairstow played such a telling hand in the chase, having bailed them out in the first innings. He had come in at 17 for three in response to 329, and England soon found themselves 55 for six. Bairstow made 162 at better than a run a ball and by the time he was out, England led.
Root was left to watch on, and ended up being denied another century, which would have been his third in the series and 28th overall. He scooted his way from 55 overnight to 86, playing a series of lovely boundaries.
Bairstow led the procession, though, and launched Michael Bracewell for six to finish the job. He finished on 71 not out from 44 balls.
