Home side finish well on top after excellent first day’s play with the bat.
Joe Root’s maiden Test century has anchored England to an excellent first day’s play in the second game of the series against New Zealand.
The home town hero scored 104 to help the home side to an imposing 337-7 at the close of play with the Kiwis behind the eight ball to save the game after being overwhelmed in the first Test at Lords.
England chose to bat first and were in a spot of bother at lunch 67-3 but Root, the local boy, led the fightback first with Ian Bell and then with Jonny Bairstow.
Root went on to become the first Yorkshireman to make his maiden Test century at Headingley and went past 1,000 first-class runs in the calendar year.
However, the hero of the moment, Bairstow and Stuart Broad fell quickly to the second new ball but Matt Prior (38no) pushed England on and ensured that New Zealand trouped off pretty disconsolate with Graeme Swann also unbeaten at the end of the day on 21 not out.
Trent Boult was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers after collecting figures of 3-48 off 19, with the rest of the wickets being shared.
However, on at at times slow and even-paced pitch, England feasted of pedestrian bowling from Doug Bracewell, who went for more than four runs an over.
England v New Zealand
Played at Headingley
Toss won by England
England 1st Innings
A. Cook c Brownlie b Bracewell 34
N. Compton c Brownlie b Southee 1
J. Trott c McCullum b Wagner 28
I. Bell c McCullum b Williamson 30
J. Root c McCullum b Boult 104
J. Bairstow c McCullum b Boult 64
M. Prior not out 38
S. Broad c McCullum b Boult 0
G. Swann not out 21
Extras (b5, lb7, w4, nb1) 17
Total (7 wkts, 94 overs, 425 mins) 337
Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Compton), 2-67 (Trott), 3-67 (Cook), 4-146 (Bell), 5-270 (Root), 6-279 (Bairstow), 7-286 (Broad)
To bat: S Finn, J Anderson
Bowling: Boult 19-4-48-3 (2w); Southee 24-6-72-1 (1w); Wagner 23-4-73-1 (1nb, 1w); Bracewell 19-3-83-1; Williamson 9-0-49-1
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