World Cup 2019: Jonny Bairstow slams ton against New Zealand, achieves historic first for England

England opener Jonny Bairstow continued his rich vein of form and slammed his ninth ODI ton against New Zealand in their crucial ICC World Cup 2019 clash at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street on Wednesday. Bairstow became the first Englishman to score back-to-back tons in a single edition of the World Cup. Before his century against New Zealand, Bairstow had slammed a match-winning ton against India on Sunday.

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Bairstow notched up his century off 95 deliveries and also became the first Englishman to score a century against New Zealand at the World Cup since Alan Lamb, who hit a ton against the Kiwis at the 1983 edition of the tournament.

Bairstow also became the third English batsman to score two centuries in the same edition of the World Cup after Kevin Pietersen in 2007 and Joe Root in 2019. Also, the right-hander entered the top-five in the list of fewest innings taken by a player to score nine ODI centuries.

Fewest innings taken for 9 ODI centuries -

52: Hashim Amla (SA)

53: Quinton de Kock (SA)

61: Babar Azam (PAK)

66: Jonny Bairstow (ENG)

72: Shikhar Dhawan (IND)

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Bairstow’s 99-ball 106 included 15 boundaries and one six and he struck those runs at a strike rate of 107.07. The right-hander was finally dismissed by Matt Henry as he chopped the ball onto his stumps in the 32nd over.