Jonny Bairstow’s astonishing onslaught and new skipper Ben Stokes’ finishing touch helped England to a superb five-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Tuesday, the final day of the match.

New Zealand set England a target of 299 to win the game — and the series — after they were bowled out for 284 on Tuesday.

Bairstow, coming to the crease after the mighty Joe Root fell for as little as 3, played a mesmerising knock. He raced to hundred off 77 balls — the second fastest Test century by an England player, one ball slower than Gilbert Jessop’s record against Australia at The Oval in 1902 — before finally being dismissed for 136 off 92 balls. He hit 14 fours and seven sixes.

The match, in fact, set the record for the most boundaries in a Test with 250 in total, including 24 sixes. Stokes stayed unbeaten on 75 to record a series win in his very first captaincy assignment.

Opener Alex Lees’ 44 set the pace for England’s chase. Lees struck three boundaries off the opening over from Tim Southee. The Black Caps’ attack suffered in the absence of Kyle Jamieson, who couldn’t bowl due to a back injury.

England, 139/4 at tea, needed 160 runs in the final session to win. Bairstow and Stokes plundered 102 in the first nine overs after the interval. It also turned out to be a record fourth innings chase at the ground. The previous

highest run chase in a Test at Trent Bridge was 284 by England against New Zealand in 2004.

“Today (Tuesday) was set up perfectly for how we want to go about it, run into the danger rather than back away or stand still,” captain Stokes said after the win.