Root hits 36th century as England win New Zealand series

England powered to a first series win in New Zealand since 2008 with an emphatic 323-run victory inside three days of the second Test in Wellington.

After setting the home side a mammoth 583, England battled high winds, the threat of showers and Tom Blundell’s swashbuckling 115.

Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse reduced New Zealand to 59-4 before Blundell lit up a grey day with his assault on off-spinner Shoaib Bashir.

The wicketkeeper hit Bashir for four sixes until his attempted sweep at the same bowler was brilliantly caught by the quick-thinking Ben Duckett running around from slip.

Ben Stokes ran through the tail for 3-5, his best Test figures in more than two years, to leave New Zealand 259 all out.

The margin of victory is England’s biggest in terms of runs against the Black Caps. It gives Stokes’ side their first away series win in two years and first in New Zealand since 2008.

England already had this match in their grasp on Sunday, when they resumed on 378-5 in their second innings and a lead of 533.

Joe Root, 73 not out overnight, completed his 36th Test century with a trademark reverse-scoop off pace bowler Will O’Rourke.

Root was out for 106 in the same over, prompting England to declare on 427-6. Stokes left himself unbeaten on 49.

Earlier in the match, Harry Brook struck his second century in as many games with 123 in the first innings, while Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell continued his impressive start to international cricket with 96 in the second innings, his highest ever professional score.

Stokes told BBC Sport on Bethell: “I’m pretty sure there were a lot of doubters about the role we brought him into for that first Test match. You’ve got a young lad with so much potential and so much talent, why not let him go out there and expose himself to Test cricket at its toughest?”

In Wellington, Bethell fell four runs short of becoming the youngest England batter for 85 years to score a Test century when he edged behind off Tim Southee.

“I was devastated for him to not get that three figures,” added Stokes. “I walked in and I said to him: ‘It’s only four runs, isn’t it?’ His response was: ‘Yeah, but it would have been flair if I smacked that through the covers to bring it up.’ Class. I think he’s proved a lot and proved why we rate him so highly.”

England will have the opportunity for a clean sweep in the third Test in Hamilton on Friday night (10pm GMT).