- Second Test D5: Eng (539 & 299-5) beat NZ (553 & 284) by 5 wkts
- Bairstow’s 136 off 92 balls drives England to unassailable 2-0 lead
On the day the Indian Premier League rights were sold for eye-watering, landscape-shifting sums of money came a positively guttural roar of defiance from Test cricket. Jonny Bairstow’s breathtaking final‑day century against New Zealand at Trent Bridge did not just chase down a target of 299 runs in 72 overs, it vaporised it.
Ben Stokes had stressed before this second Test against New Zealand that the mantra of positivity he hopes will underpin his time as captain was not to be taken as simply hitting fours and sixes.
