CHESTER-LE-STREET: England Jonny Bairstow's unbeaten 83 powered England to a three-wicket victory over New Zealand to seal a 3-2 victory in their one-day international series on Saturday. The series win over the World Cup finalists comes less than four months after England exited cricket's showpiece in the group stage."We have sort of come out of leftfield with a new-look side - Joe Root, Jos Buttler," England captain Eoin Morgan said. "Jonny Bairstow was incredible what was probably our worst batting display of the series he stuck his hand up and won us the game." Despite collapsing to 45-5, England reached its revised target of 192 in 26 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis calculation with an over to spare in the rain-affected game at Chester-le-Street in northeast England.
Bairstow was summoned by England only on Friday to replace wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, who split the webbing below his left thumb in practice. Bairstow proved he can hit as powerfully as England's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman, and secured only England's second ODI series triumph over New Zealand in 21 years. After the Kiwis made 283-9, England's reply following a three-hour break between innings thanks to drizzle began miserably against spinner Mitchell Santner. Brendon McCullum's surprise decision to open with the left-armer paid remarkable dividends and a career-best 3-31, as Alex Hales, Joe Root and Morgan went cheaply.
England's shortened chase was in almost immediate difficulty, but Bairstow took over first in a sixth-wicket stand of 80 in just 57 balls with Sam Billings. Bairstow stayed the course for a match-winning maiden ODI half-century, albeit being dropped by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi on 39, and by Santner when he uppercutted Matt Henry to third man on 56. By the time he and Adil Rashid saw England home, in an unbroken stand of 54, Bairstow had hit 11 fours off 60 balls.
It was a fitting climax to the first five-match ODI series ever to produce more than 3,000 runs. England prevailed despite half-centuries for New Zealand from Martin Guptill (67) and Kane Williamson (50), and a late cameo from Ben Wheeler worth 39. After being put into bat on a cloudy morning, New Zealand lost McCullum in the first over. He had went up the pitch to Steven Finn and smashed him over long-on for six the previous ball, but was then cramped for room on the back foot and chopped on to his stumps.
New Zealand soon had to reassess possibilities, on a slower pitch than during the rest of the series, and under lights throughout. The tourists were well-served again by the prolific Williamson with his fourth successive 50, only for a regular fall of wickets to prevent momentum. Rashid bowled impressively, and got his reward when the promotion of Santner backfired with a leg-break which bowled the advancing left-hander.
Then, after Morgan held back Rashid's final over with the powerplay underway, the legspinner returned and spotted Grant Elliott charging at him, too, and Bairstow completed the stumping. Taylor went three short of his 50, caught behind off David Willey in the 42nd over, and Ronchi found mid-off driving at Willey to go, too. With only the tail left, New Zealand had to grab what it could. That included 22 off the last over from Finn, and Wheeler hitting the final three balls for 4-6-6, but it was still not enough
