England vs New Zealand: Black Caps captain Kane Williamson admitted that an ‘incredible’ Joe Root took the game away from him with a match-winning century in the first match of the Test series at Lord’s.
Truly incredible achievement: Kane Williamson praises Joe Root (AP Photo)
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- Joe Root hits a match-winning century at Lord’s Test
- Root also completed 10,000 runs in Test cricket on Sunday
- England take a 1-0 lead over New Zealand in the 3-match Test series
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson paid tribute to Joe Root after helping the former England captain win the first Test by five wickets at Lord’s and take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series on Sunday, June 5. Root hit an unbeaten 115 as England scored 277 on Day 4 against a formidable Black Caps bowling line-up that bowled England out for 141 in the first innings.
As he completed his century, Joe Root became the second England batsman and the 14th overall to complete 10,000 runs in Test cricket. At the age of 31, Root became the first batsman in the history of the game to complete 10,000 runs in his first 10 years of international cricket.
New Zealand sealed the upper hand when England were reduced to 69 for 4 in the final innings, but newly-appointed captain Ben Stokes and Root put on a 90-run partnership to get the team out of trouble. After Stokes was dismissed, Root went ahead and ensured that England went past the finish line with 5 wickets to spare.
Williamson said of Root, “It was a great game of cricket it took an incredible innings from an amazing player to get him over the line. It’s really an incredible achievement, recognizing the quality of the player and his longevity.” “
New Zealand were in a commanding position as they took a 242-run lead in their second innings with six wickets remaining, but losing three in three balls opened the door for England to fight back and, in the end, complete a comfortable victory.
‘Lots of lessons’
Given their recent history in Test cricket, England were expected to crumble in the fourth innings, but Williamson conceded that New Zealand’s bowlers were denied help on the evening of the third day and the conditions on the fourth day at Lord’s.
“We thought there might be some assistance from the overhead (conditions), but it didn’t have to be,” Williamson said. “It’s about moving quickly and learning. There’s always a lot more to go on.”
The second Test gets underway in Nottingham as New Zealand will make a strong comeback. The defending World Test champions are likely to be without all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme, who was ruled out of the series opener in the middle of the Test due to a heel injury.
“Everyone wants to contribute more,” Williamson said. “We will look into it and look forward to the next one.