LONDON, May 25 (AFP): Ben Stokes followed up his record-breaking century with two wickets in two balls as England moved closer to a stunning win in the first cricket Test against New Zealand at Lord�s today.
At tea on the fifth and final day, New Zealand were 134 for five, needing a further 211 runs to reach their victory target of 345.
But, realistically, they now needed to bat through the final session to force a draw and prevent themselves going 1-0 down in this two-match series.
However, the gritty BJ Watling was 36 not out and the dashing Corey Anderson 51 not out, with their sixth-wicket stand so far worth 73.
New Zealand, who had earlier collapsed to 12 for three, found themselves 61 for five when Stokes, who on Sunday had scored the fastest Test-hundred at Lord�s, off 85 balls, struck twice in his third over.
Kane Williamson, who made 132 in the tourists� first innings, fell for 27 when he guided Stokes to Joe Root in the gully.
And next ball New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum played on to a Stokes inswinger.
Given a roar by the crowd worthy of Ian Botham or Andrew Flintoff, Stokes, the New Zealand-born son of former Kiwi rugby league international Ged Stokes, who came to England as a 12-year-old, charged in again.
SCORECARD
England 1st Innings 389
New Zealand 1st Innings 523
England 2nd Innings (overnight: 74-2): A Lyth c Southee b Boult 12, A Cook c Latham b Boult 162, G Ballance b Southee 0, I Bell c Latham b Southee 29, J Root c Boult b Henry 84, B Stokes c Taylor b Craig 101, J Buttler c Latham b Henry 14, M Ali lbw b Boult 43, S Broad b Boult 10, M Wood not out 4, J Anderson b Boult 0. Extras: (b2, lb12, w5) 19. Total: (all out, 129 overs) 478. Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-25, 3-74, 4-232, 5-364, 6-389, 7-455, 8-467, 9-478. Bowling: Boult 34-8-85-5; Southee 34-4-162-2; Henry 29-3-106-2; Craig 28-3-96-1; Anderson 3-0-13-0; Williamson 1-0-2-0.
New Zealand 2nd Innings: Guptill c Ballance b Anderson 0, Latham lbw b Broad 0, Williamson c Root b Stokes 27, Taylor lbw b Broad 8, Watling not out 36, McCullum b Stokes 0, Anderson not out 51. Extras: (B-5, LB-7) 12. Total: (5 wkts in 41 overs) 134. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-12, 4-61, 5-61. Bowling: Anderson 9-5-11-1; Broad 11-3-28-2; Wood 8-2-20-0; Stokes 7-3-28-2; Ali 6-1-35-0.
