Root Leads England To Victory Over New Zealand

Joe Root made a remarkable unbeaten century to guide England to an impressive five-wicket win over New Zealand. On the somber fourth morning of the first test at Lord’s on Sunday (5th June).  Former captain Root became the 14th batsman to pass 10,000 tries and finished with 115 not out after sharing a 120th sixth wicket partnership with Ben Foakes, whose 32 not to come was also crucial for England to reach their 277 win goal.

The New Zealand Seamers, previously so strong through the test, found no swing in the chilly morning and failed to test the batsmen as the pair picked up the pace with little alarm after England continued at 216 for five, needing 61 for a win. England captain Ben Stokes celebrated victory in his first test as a coach and will be targeting a draw when the second of three matches will take place at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Friday. Root put together a 26th-century test, and his first in the fourth round, a reminder of the important role he still has to play for the team after reluctantly stepping down as captain this year.

“Scoring one hundred 10,000 runs, what a player, what a man,” Stokes said at his post-match presentation, warning that his team would not be carried away by their success, having won just one of their 17 tests.

Joe Root’s Achievements

“We are happy to leave here with a win. But one thing everyone needs to take into account is that this is a mindset change for everyone. And it’s not something that will happen overnight,” added Stoles. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson hoped the overcast conditions would provide movement for his sailors but was disappointed by the lack of swing.

“The game ebbs and flows; both teams come out and fight hard,” he said. “We saw how difficult it was when the ball was hard. We came here today with high hopes.

“Must have learned a lot. We will reflect on this and look forward to the next one.” Root joins the roster of renowned Test cricketers in the 10,000-run club. Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook is the only other Englishman to have crossed the milestone.

Incredibly, Root and Cook accomplished the feat at the exact same age — 31 years and 157 days. England staggered at the bottom of the World Test Championship table coming into Lord’s Test, but are now 1-0 up in a three-match draw against title holders New Zealand.

“Obviously, it feels fantastic. More than anything, first of all, for us to win this Test match after such a long time is the biggest feeling of all. It’s a tough path for everyone, but the way everyone does it is really fun. I love hitting, and I just want to keep hitting as long as I can and score as much as I can, to help us out. win as many Trial matches as possible.” said Root.

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