A century from Joe Root has guided England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's.
Root - who was playing his first game at this level since relinquishing the captaincy - posted his 26th ton as Ben Stokes's reign as skipper got off to the perfect start.
Furthermore, Root also reached 10,000 Test runs with the two which brought up three figures, a moment which will rank among the upper echelons of a career which continues to deliver.
England went into day four requiring just 62 runs to win, but an overcast sky and the trademark threat of yet another batting collapse meant that a successful run chase was far from a formality.
Nevertheless, Root and Ben Foakes made it feel that way, the pair regularly chipping off the runs with the latter improving his strike rate from the previous evening.
© Reuters
While Foakes was nothing more than the support act, the wicket-keeper played a pivotal role in keeping some of the pressure off Root, who showed his class in reaching three figures.
The Yorkshire batsman had some luck on the way, almost chopping down onto his own stumps in reaching 96, but the 31-year-old deserved his slice of good fortune which set up his headline moment.
A flick off the pads into the leg-side gave him more than enough time to run two, poetically bringing up his 100 at the same time that he became just the second Englishman to reach 10,000 runs.
Although there was work still to do, Root looked relaxed during the closing stages of the game, eventually reaching 115 not out with a perfect pull shot to seal the win, Foakes unbeaten on 32 and the sixth-wicket stand concluding on 120.
Away from the adulation that Root has and will continue to receive, England ended a prolonged wait for a win in the Test arena which had lasted since August.
Darren Plant
