Joe Root Achieves Milestone of 14,000 Test Runs
Joe Root Joins the Prestigious 14,000-Run Club
On Saturday, England's Joe Root reached a remarkable milestone by scoring 14,000 runs in Test cricket, becoming only the second player in history to achieve this feat after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Root accomplished this during the fourth day of the second Test match against New Zealand, remaining not out at 75 runs off 137 balls, which included eight boundaries.
Throughout his career, Root has played 165 Test matches, accumulating a total of 14,073 runs across 302 innings, boasting an impressive average of 50.98. His record includes 41 centuries and 67 half-centuries, with a personal best score of 262. Currently, he ranks as the second-highest run-scorer in Test history, trailing only Tendulkar, who has 15,921 runs from 200 Tests and 49 centuries.
Match Overview: England vs New Zealand
As for the match itself, England concluded day four at 182 for 5, with Root remaining unbeaten at 75 alongside Jordan Cox, who has yet to score. Harry Brook also made a significant contribution, scoring 58 runs off 54 balls, featuring 10 fours and a six, after England found themselves at 40 for 3 during their chase.
Innings Summary
England, leading the series 1-0, chose to bowl first. New Zealand posted a total of 391 runs, highlighted by Glenn Phillips' century (100 runs off 135 balls, including 18 fours) and Tom Blundell's fifty (51 runs off 84 balls, with six fours). Jacob Bethell was the standout bowler for England, taking 3 wickets for 26 runs, while Jofra Archer, Sonny Baker, and Matthew Fisher each claimed two wickets.
In their first innings, England fell short by 100 runs, scoring 381. Key performances came from Emilio Gay (53 runs off 114 balls, with nine fours), Matthew Fisher (50 not out off 77 balls, with six fours), and Joe Root (46 runs off 57 balls, with eight fours). Matt Henry was exceptional for New Zealand, taking 5 wickets for 80 runs.
In the second innings, New Zealand was bowled out for 362 runs, with notable contributions from Henry Nicholls (121 runs off 171 balls, with 16 fours), Rachin Ravindra (76 runs off 99 balls, with 15 fours), and Daryl Mitchell (68 runs off 108 balls, including nine fours and a six). This set England a target of 463 runs to win. Archer and Fisher were impressive for England, each taking three wickets.