England produced a new brand of cricket in the final season of the Trent Bridge that saw the home side chase down 160 runs against New Zealand. Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes took the attack to the opposition to gun down the target in some style.
The wicketkeeper-batter reached his fifty in the first over after tea and after that, there was no stopping him. The next three overs saw five maximums from Bairstow’s bat as he gave life to a Test match that was heading for a plain draw.
England clobbered 68 runs in the first five overs as Jonny Bairstow inched towards his hundred. He eventually reached the triple figures in just 77 balls. Stokes wasn’t one to be left behind as he smashed a 55-ball half-century.
Asked at post-match presentation what his partner at the other end, Stokes had said and Jonny Bairstow said, “When we got back out there Ben said ‘don’t even think about it -hitting the ball down – send it into the stands.”
The Yorkshire cricketer revealed that they saw the target as an ODI, chasing down 160 runs in just 16 overs. He added, “We saw it as a one-day game. The pitch was very good and the outfield was very fast. With the players we have in the dressing room we can play this brand of cricket and it is the cricket that we want to play. Days like this are just so great.”
Jonny Bairstow eventually fell to Trent Boult after a 92-ball 136 but Stokes remained unbeaten on 75 to take the team home.
“Cheese and ham toastie” – Jonny Bairstow on what he had at tea
In what was Bairstow’s third century of 2022, he particularly attacked the Kiwi bowlers in the evening session scoring 93 (44) post the tea break. When asked about what he had at tea, the cricketer said:
“Cheese and ham toastie and a coffee.”
England will hope to continue their momentum in the final game of the series, scheduled to commence on June 23 at Headingley.
Get the latest cricket news here and like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
