Jonny Bairstow bludgeoned a brilliant 83 not out in Durham to lead England to a three-wicket win over New Zealand on the Duckworth-Lewis method on Saturday, earning a 3-2 victory in the five-match series of one-dayers.
In a rain-affected game at Chester-le-Street,0 Bairstow’s classy knock helped England chase down a revised total of 192 from 26 overs with six balls to spare.
World Cup runner-up New Zealand hit 283 for nine off 50 overs and looked to be heading for a comfortable victory after taking several early wickets.
But Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow, replacing the injured Jos Buttler, produced an innings worthy of a thrilling series that yielded more than 3,000 runs for the first time in a five-match ODI encounter.
Earlier, Ben Wheeler’s quick-fire 39 not out took New Zealand to 283 for nine at Riverside on Saturday.
England reduced New Zealand to 261 for eight heading into the last over of the innings. But the 50th over saw Steven Finn concede 22 runs, including three sixes.
Scoreboard
New Zealand : M. Guptill c Bairstow b Stokes 67, B. McCullum b Finn 6, K. Williamson b Stokes 50, R. Taylor c Bairstow b Willey 47, M. Santner b Rashid 2, G. Elliott st. Bairstow b Rashid 35, L. Ronchi c Morgan b Willey 2, B. Wheeler (not out) 39, T. Southee b Stokes 18, M. Henry c Stokes b Finn 12, A. Mathieson (not out) 0, Extras (lb-3, w-2) 5; Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs) 283.
Fall of wickets : 1-7, 2-101, 3-150, 4-155, 5-210, 6-212, 7-219, 8-244, 9-267.
England bowling : Finn 10-0-73-2, Willey 10-0-50-2, Wood 10-0-60-0, Stokes 10-0-52-3, Rashid 10-0-45-2.
England (D/L target: 192 off 26 overs) : J. Roy c Guptill b Mathieson 12, A. Hales c Williamson b Santner 1, J. Root st Ronchi b Santner 4, E. Morgan c Guptill b Santner 0, B. Stokes c B. McCullum b Wheeler 17, J. Bairstow (not out) 83, S. Billings c Taylor b Henry 41, D. Willey c Santner b Wheeler 7, A. Rashid (not out) 12, Extras (b-1, lb-6, w-8) 15; Total (for 7 wickets in 25 overs) 192.
Fall of wickets : 1-8, 2-20, 3-20, 4-40, 5-45, 6-125, 7-138.
New Zealand bowling : Southee 4-0-28-0, Santner 6-0-31-3, Wheeler 5-0-33-2, Mathieson 4-0-40-1, Henry 5-0-37-1, Elliott 1-0-16-0.
Toss : England. Man of the match : Bairstow. Man of the series : Williamson (NZ). England won by 3 wickets with 6 balls to spare (D/L Method)
