Eng vs NZ 2nd Test: England beat New Zealand by five wickets to clinch the series 

 

Little did they know at the start of the play on Day-5, where every result was possible, that they would get to see an astonishing display of world-class batting for free. The magnificent display of batting by the English batters made a mockery of what seemed a tricky chase. They scored 299 in 50 overs with five wickets to spare to eventually win the Match and go 2-0 up against New Zealand in a 3-test match series.  

Kiwis fight to extend the lead. 

The Blackcaps resumed the day at 224/7 with Daryl Mitchel still at the crease, intending to stay and score. The Day 5 adventure began in the first over itself when former England captain Joe Root dropped a regulation catch off Matt Henry at 2nd slip. When things started to look settled for the black caps, Henry top-edged a bouncer from Stuart Broad to find Ben Foakes, who leapt well to claw down the breakthrough catch. In his next over, Broad sent back Kyle Jamieson to the pavilion of an elegant bouncer that kissed the glove and went straight to Foakes; the Kiwis were 249/9, adding only 25 runs from the overnight score. All hopes were now on Daryl Mitchell, who played some elegant shorts to score quick runs and completed his half-century in no time. A short cameo from Trent Boult ended the Kiwis' innings when he smashed James Anderson straight to mid-off, where Ben Stokes took a regulation catch. Finally, New Zealand ended their 2nd innings at 284, setting up a target of 298 to be chased in 72 overs. Daryl Mitchell remained unbeaten at 62 and became the top scorer in the 2nd innings. The duo of Anderson & Broad collectively picked up five wickets. 

The Jonny Bairstow show

When the chase began, Alex Lees made it clear that the team coached by Brendon McCullum was straightway going for the win when he hit three fours in the first over of Tim Southee. Before the on-slaughter could pick up the pace, Trent Boult got the first breakthrough for the kiwis when Zak Crawley edged the ball to 2nd slip for a duck. Lees and Pope dropped the anchor, and things started to look settled. England lost two back-to-back wickets of Pope (18) and Joe Root (3). Suddenly Home side was four down at 93 runs in 25 overs. Chances to attempt the run chance now looked bleak, but Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow had something different in their minds. With still 160 runs needed in the final session, both the batters made a joke of the Kiwi's bowling attack, who were playing a bowler short courtesy of Kyle Jamieson's injury. They together scored over nine runs an over constantly for more than ten overs, and the dream of doing the impossible seemed natural. Jonny Bairstow scored the 2nd fastest hundred by an English batsman, just one ball shy of Gilbert Jessop, who scored the quickest century way back in 1902. Eventually, Bairstow's blitzkrieg ended at 136 runs, but he had done the job by then. His sheer will and determination, clubbed by some poor bowling display from the Kiwis on a 5th-day pitch, made him the rockstar of the Match and for the generations to come. On the other hand, Ben Stokes (75) scored almost a run-a-ball in this historical chase and played the much-needed role when England could have played to save the Match. 

Things to celebrate and Ponder 

While the England team will have a night to celebrate, the current Test champions will have much to ponder and answer. The Kiwis lost the Match even after scoring 553 runs in the 1st innings. There have been talks among the cricket pundits regarding the Trent Bridge pitch being dead and flat with no movement for the bowlers, but it can't be denied that Bairstow and Stokes played their hearts out and gave it all to win the 2nd test match in a row. Credit also goes to their new coach, Brendon McCullum, who saw his side beating his home country in back-to-back test matches in his maiden assignment. It will be interesting to see what lies in store for the 3rd and final test match at Leeds that begins on 23rd June. On the other hand, this powerful performance by the refurbished English side would also expedite Team India's training and game planning, who are scheduled to play a 5-day game next month. 

Record Made: At 245 boundaries (222 x4, 23 x6), this is now the most boundary-laden Test match in history, breaking the 242 set at Sydney in 2004