Monitoring Desk
Christchurch: Jonny Bairstow’s superb 104 helped England beat New Zealand by seven wickets and win the one-day series 3-2. A dismal start cost New Zealand who, despite 67 from Mitchell Santner and 55 from Henry Nicholls, were bowled out for 223 in Christchurch. Bairstow dominated the bowlers, smashing nine fours and six sixes as he thrashed a century from just 58 balls. Alex Hales, replacing the injured Jason Roy, made 61 before Ben Stokes scored an unbeaten 26 to seal victory. England, building towards the 2019 World Cup on home soil, have now won six successive ODI series. Chris Woakes excelled with the ball for England, finishing with figures of 3-32 without conceding a boundary from his 10 overs, and his sharpness was backed up by the spinners. Accurate with the ball and showing a controlled aggression with the bat, England look a settled one-day side and, as shown with Hales coming in for Roy after he suffered a back spasm, they have good depth available to them. They looked assured in their pursuit of New Zealand’s total and played smartly, led by Bairstow as he registered his second century of the series. England now travel to Hamilton for a tour match beginning on 13 March, before the two-match Test series starts on 22 March.
