Joe Root seals victory for England over New Zealand in first Test

Former captain Joe Root gave his successor Ben Stokes the perfect start to his reign at Lord’s, carrying England to victory with a match-winning century to seal the first LV= Insurance Test against New Zealand.

Root walked away as skipper in April after five years and a record 64 games in charge but remains the team’s most reliable performer and produced a decisive knock of 115 not out to set up a five-wicket victory at the home of cricket.

In an ice cool partnership with Ben Foakes, who made an unbeaten 32 in a stand of 120, Root shepherded his side to a stiff chase of 277 with his first ever fourth-innings hundred.

By doing so Root became just the second Englishman to reach 10,000 Test runs – following in the footsteps of his own predecessor Sir Alastair Cook. The symmetry of their achievements does not end there, with both men exactly 31 years and 157 days when they crossed the threshold.

It was Root’s 26th in total, the same as West Indian great Sir Garfield Sobers, but he will be even more satisfied by its importance to the team. Nobody was closer to Root, or did more to back up his leadership, than Stokes and he already seems dead set on returning the favour.

England were marginal favourites as they resumed on 216 for five, with 61 runs still needed and five wickets in hand, but the equation still looked a taxing one.

With thick, grey clouds overhead and the floodlights glaring from ball one, conditions were far from ideal for batting. A fragile tail, featuring at least three natural number 11s, also cranked up the responsibility on the overnight pairing of Root and Foakes.

One loose stroke or one inspired delivery might have changed the mood, but a game that has see-sawed back and forth with a series of twists