Tuesday 26 May 2015 12:36, UK
Ben Stokes inspired England to a stunning 124-run victory as New Zealand slumped to 220 all out in the final session of an absorbing first Test at Lord’s.
The Durham all-rounder, who struck the fastest century ever scored at Lord’s on Sunday, grabbed the prized scalps of Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum in successive balls during a fiery afternoon spell.
That reduced New Zealand, set a target of 345 for an improbable victory following England’s second innings 478, to 61-5.
BJ Watling (59) and Corey Anderson (67) offered resistance but England – on the day that reports suggested Trevor Bayliss is the England and Wales Cricket Board’s preferred candidate to become new head coach – weren’t to be denied, wrapping up victory with 9.3 overs left as Moeen Ali held a steepling catch at third man to remove Trent Boult.
The result completed a remarkable turnaround after England – at one stage 30-4 early on day one – conceded a first-innings lead of 134, New Zealand posting 523 first time around.
Stokes finished with 3-38 but it was veteran James Anderson who got the ball rolling, moving to 399 career Test wickets when Gary Ballance caught Martin Guptill off the second delivery of the innings.
Stuart Broad (2-7) then trapped Tom Latham lbw with his first ball of the innings to make the score 0-2. Joe Root dropped Ross Taylor at slip off Broad for two but the seamer quickly made amends in his following over, dismissing New Zealand’s number four lbw.
At 12-3 the tourists were in desperate need of another large score from Williamson, who batted for over six hours for his first-innings 132; he was again bedding in nicely when Stokes tempted him to play away from his body, Joe Root taking the chance low down in the gully.
Stokes swiftly had a second in as many balls as he bowled captain McCullum with a delivery that cramped him for room, the ball ricocheting into the stumps via his thigh pad.
Anderson allowed the hat-trick ball to go across his bows before going on the counter-attack, striking Stokes for two fours before clubbing the all-rounder into the stands for six.
The left-hander kept up the rate, striking Moeen Ali for three consecutive fours to move to his third half-century in 11 Tests and give New Zealand a much-needed lift.
Watling was more watchful, becoming only the third wicketkeeper to register two fifties in a Lord’s Test after Jeff Dujon and Matt Prior, and while he and Anderson compiled their 107-run stand England’s chances began to drift.
The breakthrough was achieved by Mark Wood, who undid Watling with one that bounced and flicked the glove on its way through to Buttler. Six runs later New Zealand were seven down as Anderson was trapped lbw by Root, replays showing the ball would have just clipped leg-stump.
Stokes grabbed his third by bowling Mark Craig and with the score still on 198, Moeen Ali took a smart return catch to end Tim Southee’s brief cameo and it was the Worcestershire man who took the final crucial catch to the delight of a packed ground.
Earlier, England began the day on 429-6 with a comfortable lead of 295 and added 49 runs in 52 minutes before being bowled out.
Left-arm seamer Trent Boult picked up the last four wickets at a cost of nine runs in 17 balls - starting with that of Cook who was caught behind for 162 off the inside edge - to claim his fourth five-wicket haul in 31 Tests.
Broad pulled Boult for six only to be clean bowled for 10, and the fast bowler then trapped Moeen Ali lbw for 43 – Cook choosing not to declare at 478-9.
The end of the innings came soon enough, though, when Anderson was bowled for nought to give Boult figures of five for 85 and nine wickets in the match.
