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Captain Stokes hails ‘unbelievable’ Bairstow

AFP . Nottingham
16 Jun 2022 00:00:00 | Update: 16 Jun 2022 07:29:50
Captain Stokes hails ‘unbelievable’ Bairstow
England's Jonny Bairstow celebrates after reaching his century during day 5 of their second Test against New Zealand in Nottingham on Tuesday– AFP Photo

Ben Stokes saluted Jonny Bairstow after the “unbelievable” England batsman demolished New Zealand with his country’s second-fastest Test hundred to win the series on Tuesday.

Bairstow smashed an incredible 77-ball ton and went onto reach 136 from 92 balls with 14 fours and seven sixes.

The 32-year-old’s astonishing display fired England to a five-wicket victory in the second Test at Trent Bridge, giving them their first series triumph since January 2021.

England captain Stokes watched much of Bairstow’s incredible onslaught from the other end of the wicket during his own impressive innings as he defied a knee injury to crush 75 from 70 balls.

The pair left Test world champions New Zealand battered and bruised, but it was Bairstow who stole the show.

“Today just, wow, unbelievable,” Stokes said. “Man! I was out there for a while with him and he had the ‘Jonny eyes’.

“You’ll probably see it on TV. When he has those eyes you’re not stopping him. You let him go on and do what he needs to do.

“The only time I spoke to him was when Matt Henry came out to bounce him and I said don’t think about putting anything on the floor, just put it into the stands. And he did.”

Bairstow revealed he had recharged with a cheese and ham toastie and a cup of coffee at the tea break before his brutal barrage changed the game.

England had been 56-3 at one stage and still needed 160 in the last session, before Bairstow and Stokes fired them to the finish line after just 50 overs.

Prior to Stokes taking over along with new coach Brendon McCullum, England had won once in 17 Tests.

But they have been revitalised since Stokes took over from Joe Root as captain as the start of this series.

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