Lift-off for England’s new era as veterans show class

London: New era, familiar story but with a much happier ending than England have come to expect. Joe Root’s sublime century provided Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes with the perfect start and something to build on as the series against New Zealand moves to Trent Bridge this week.

England used to have a knack of following a good performance with a bad one under Root and Alastair Cook’s captaincies. Recently, it has been a bad performance followed by a worse one.

The positive cricket espoused by McCullum and Stokes bodes well for entertainment but not necessarily a solid run of form, so we may have to wait for England to string a run of wins together.

New Zealand will surely improve in Nottingham, their top order better prepared to judge which balls to play and their attack refreshed with Neil Wagner or Matt Henry, or possibly both.

Last year Root scored a brilliant hundred at Trent Bridge to prevent defeat by India, and the team returns with a reliance on his batting as heavy as ever, his 115 from 170 balls proof of his position as the world’s best Test batsman.

The five-wicket win over New Zealand was a massive lift after nine winless Tests, the bloodletting of the Ashes fallout, fat shaming and boozing headlines and defeat in the West Indies.

New captain Ben Stokes shares the moment with his predecessor Joe Root.Credit: Getty Images

The emergence of Matty Potts with seven wickets was encouraging and timely given injuries to other bowlers, and Ben Foakes played his best innings since his debut hundred by supporting Root to the end with 32 not out from 92 balls in a 120-run sixth-wicket stand.

England’s fielding was far sharper, proof of McCullum’s influence already. He puts so much stock in it and the players responded immediately, hitting the stumps with three out of four attempts – including the stunning run out of Colin de Grandhomme – and grabbed four out of five slip chances. McCullum picked a settled cordon of Root, Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow. They were staggered better too, with smaller gaps, which is important given the outside edge is always in play at Trent Bridge.

Perhaps Stokes will be a lucky captain too – bowled off a no ball on one, his 54 gave England belief they could win, and as captain he did not put a foot wrong. His man-management skills are superb. He sensed Potts’ nerves on Saturday night as he faced potentially having to win a Test with the bat on debut in a tight finish. Stokes invited him out with his family to celebrate his 31st birthday, so Potts did not stew on it in his hotel room.

A forgettable moment for New Zealand’s Colin de Grandhomme, run out while awaiting an lbw decision.Credit: Getty Images

He also stood at mid-off, cajoling and talking to Potts as he waited at his mark to bowl his first ball in Test cricket. It took Potts only five deliveries to take his maiden wicket, Kane Williamson. He dismissed New Zealand’s best player twice, a good habit to learn.

Stokes gave James Anderson and Stuart Broad his thorough backing, making their return a condition for taking the job, and they responded by pitching the ball up more than they did in the Ashes. Stokes’s force of personality makes it a lot harder to say no than with his predecessor and in Anderson’s first over he had five slips in place, living up to his promise to always attack.

England were tactically sharp and Stokes gave Matt Parkinson the chance to take the final wicket of New Zealand’s second innings, the leg-spinner snaffling Tim Southee, so he has a bit of confidence going into Trent Bridge with Jack Leach unlikely to be fit as he undergoes a seven-day mandatory recovery period from concussion.

But ultimately this could have been an England Test win from any time over the past 10 years. Broad and Anderson struck with the Dukes ball in early summer, Root and Stokes were the most dependable batsmen, England collapsed losing five for eight in their first innings and Jonny Bairstow proved you cannot go from Indian Premier League to Test cricket without preparation.

Joe Root, having made a century and passed 10,000 Test runs, celebrates the win. Credit: Getty Images

England learnt nothing about Alex Lees, Crawley and Ollie Pope and while Stokes defended Bairstow, saying he played exactly how England wanted as he crashed fours and made 16 off 15 balls in the run chase, his dismissal could have had massive ramifications had de Grandhomme not overstepped and Stokes been on his way for one.

Root’s 26th hundred, his ninth in 18 months, fifth at Lord’s and fourth against New Zealand was the ideal blueprint. He was 34 off 89 when he lost Stokes but added 81 from his next 81 balls, moving through the gears by turning ones into twos to put pressure on New Zealand, who never looked like taking a wicket on the final morning.

Root was emotional as he pointed to the dressing room, raising his bat for a hundred at the same time as his 10,000th Test run.

It is a surprise it was his first Test hundred in a fourth innings and perhaps in the past he has been too weighed down by responsibility to seize a game at the end. This time he looked cool and focused on the end result.

Ever a man of the people, Root knocked off the runs so quickly – 13.5 overs – that every supporter received a full refund, cheers ringing around the ground when it was announced. Some will say it was cricketing karma for the prices charged on the first three days.

Because the first LV= Insurance Test was over so early, the players and backroom team had time to play with their children on the outfield, and family and friends were welcomed into the dressing room for a drink. Those moments knit teams together and McCullum and Stokes can now tell the players this is the reward for winning. Something forgotten over the past two years.

The Daily Telegraph

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