England batter Joe Root equalled Indian batting legend Rahul Dravid to develop into Check cricket’s fifth-highest century getter on Sunday. Root achieved this feat throughout the second Check in opposition to New Zealand at Wellington. Within the match, Root, after making simply three in first innings, broke his string of low scores with an excellent 106 in 130 balls within the second innings. His knock consisted of 11 fours and runs got here at a strike fee of 81.53. This was Root’s thirty sixth Check century, matching him with Dravid’s tally. Root has the very best quantity of centuries by an England batter.
The best quantity of centuries in Check cricket are by Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar (51), Jacques Kallis (45), Ricky Ponting (41), Kumar Sangakkara (38).
This was Root’s sixth Check hundred in 2024, equalling his personal file for many Check centuries scored in a calendar yr by an English batter. This yr in Assessments, Root has made 1,470 runs at a mean of 56.53, with six centuries and 4 fifties in 29 innings with finest rating of 262.
Essentially the most Check centuries scored by a participant in a calendar yr are by Pakistan legend Mohammed Yousuf, who scored 9 centuries in 2006.
With this win over New Zealand by 523 runs within the second Check, England has secured the three-match sequence by 3-0.
New Zealand received the toss and elected to area first. England couldn’t get the beginning they needed and had been diminished to 43/4. It was the next-generation of England stars, Brook and Ollie Pope, who put England again on monitor, run-by-run. A superb counter-attack noticed them sew a 174-run stand for the fifth wicket.
Brook smashed his eighth Check ton and second successive ton in opposition to Kiwis, persevering with his love affair with the nation. He smashed 123 in 115 balls, with 11 fours and 5 sixes. Additionally, Pope went on to smash 66 in 78 balls, with seven fours and a six earlier than being the fifth wicket taken by Will O’Rourke (3/49). After Brook’s unlucky run out by Nathan Smith, which induced England to lose seventh wicket, the guests had been skittled out for simply 280 runs in 54.4 overs.
The choose of the bowlers for NZ was all-rounder Nathan Smith (4/86) alongside O’Rourke, who took three wickets. Matt Henry additionally took two wickets.
Of their first innings, Kiwis may muster solely 125 runs as four-fers from Atkinson (4/31) and Carse (4/46) completely demolished NZ. Kane Williamson (37 in 56 balls, with three fours) was the one participant to the touch the 20-run mark. They trailed by 155 runs. A 35-run partnership for the second wicket for by skipper Tom Latham and Williamson was the spotlight of the inning.
Of their second innings, England did lose Zak Crawley early. Nevertheless a 187-run partnership between Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell (96 in 118 balls, with 10 fours and three sixes) helped England again on monitor and achieve a lead. Duckett additionally missed out on his century, scoring 92 in 112 balls, with six fours and a six.
A 95-run partnership adopted between Root and Brook (55 in 61 balls, with 5 fours). A century partnership for the sixth wicket between Root (106 in 130 balls, with 11 fours) and skipper Ben Stokes (49* in 42 balls, with a 4 and two sixes) took England past the 400-run mark as they declared at 427/6.
Tim Southee (2/72) was the choose of the bowlers for Kiwis. Henry additionally received two wickets. Glenn Phillips additionally received a wicket.
With a goal of 583 runs to chase, Kiwis crumbled to heaps and half their facet was again within the hut for 106 runs. An entertaining 96 run stand adopted between wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell (115 in 102 balls, with 13 fours and 5 sixes) and Nathan (42 in 51 balls, with three fours and two sixes) for the eighth wicket that took the crew past 200-run mark. Nevertheless, it was not sufficient as they had been bundled out for 259 runs in 54.2 overs, shedding by 323 runs.
Stokes (3/5) was the choose of the bowlers for England, wiping the tail. Carse, Shoaib Bashir and Chris Woakes received two wickets whereas Atkinson received one.
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