Hundred hero Bairstow leads stunning England rally against New Zealand
Cricket
England were 264-6 at stumps on day two in the third Test against New Zealand on Friday.
LEEDS (AFP) - Jonny Bairstow was a hundred hero for England once again as debutant Jamie Overton played his part in an astounding fightback against New Zealand on Friday.
England were in dire straits when the pair came together at 55-6 in reply to the Black Caps first-innings 329 in the third Test at Headingley.
Yet they ended the second day on 264-6, just 65 runs behind.
Bairstow was 130 not out in front of his Yorkshire home crowd, with fast bowler Overton, who only has one first-class hundred, unbeaten on 89.
On a day when New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell compiled his third century of the series, Bairstow and Overton combined in an unbroken partnership of 209 -- a new England seventh-wicket record in a Test.
"It feels amazing," Bairstow, whose superb 136 led England to a five-wicket and series-clinching win at Trent Bridge, told Sky Sports.
"This place (Headingley) means a lot to me. Being a Yorkshire lad scoring a Test hundred at home is pretty special.
"For Jamie (Overton) to play the way he did, on debut, under pressure, to have the confidence to play as he did against this New Zealand attack, that is exceptional."
England went 2-0 up in the three-match series playing bold and aggressive cricket under their new leadership pair of captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.
But England reverted to type Friday during a frantic slump, with left-arm quick Trent Boult routing the top order in a superb spell of swing and seam bowling that yielded three wickets for nine runs in four overs.
Bairstow and Overton, disregarding the conventional wisdom that consolidation is required after a batting collapse, counter-attacked in fine style, although the Yorkshireman was missed on 27 when Neil Wagner dropped a return catch off a checked drive.
- Emotional Bairstow -
That, however, was a rare error by Bairstow, whose fifty came off a mere 51 balls.
Overton, selected ahead of twin brother Craig in place of the injured James Anderson, demonstrated a wide array of attacking shots during a 68-ball fifty.
Bairstow, having reached fifth in 51 balls, completed his 10th hundred in 86 career Tests by off-driving Boult for a 15th four in 95 balls faced.
The 32-year-old son of the late England wicketkeeper David Bairstow sprinted in celebration towards the stand where his mother, Janet, was watching before stopping and acknowledging the crowd s applause.
"Every time you score a Test hundred it s emotional," said Bairstow. "It means so much for me to play Test cricket for England.
"That s the kind of guy I am. I wear my heart on my sleeve."
Earlier, Alex Lees was bowled off the fifth ball of England s reply by a superb Boult leg-cutter before he cleaned up Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley.
Southee then had England star batsman Joe Root caught behind for five to leave England reeling at 21-4.
Although Stokes counter-attacked by driving Southee for six, he could only chip Wagner to mid-off attempting a similar shot.
Three balls later, Wagner had a second wicket in his first over of the series when Ben Foakes was plumb lbw for nought to leave England 55-6.
New Zealand had resumed on 225-5, with Mitchell turning his overnight 78 not out into an innings of 109.
In the process he broke a 73-year-old New Zealand record for the most runs during a series against England.
Mitchell has scored 482 this campaign -- 20 more than Martin Donnelly managed in 1949.
Mitchell put on 120 with Tom Blundell, who made 55 before he was lbw to Matthew Potts, a borderline decision he was unable to review as DRS was out of action at the time.
But Mitchell completed his latest hundred in fairytale fashion by lofting Jack Leach over long-off for six.
Trying to repeat the stroke, however, his 228-ball innings ended when a miscued drive off the spinner was well caught by Stokes, running back from mid-off.
Leach, whose Test career has been blighted by illness, injury and inconsistent selection, finished with an impressive haul of 5-100 in 38.3 overs.
