England’s highest run chases: Where does the Trent Bridge triumph rank?
England’s highest run chases in Test cricket
England secured a thrilling five-wicket win against New Zealand at Trent Bridge to win the three-match Test series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Set a second-innings score of 299 on the final day, England reached their target for the loss of just five wickets to set their fifth-highest successful run chase in Test history.
Here we take a look at the top five of England’s highest run chases.
359 – 2019 v Australia at Headingley
England chased down 359 to clinch one of their finest-ever wins in the third Test against Australia thanks to Ben Stokes’ heroics in a remarkable unbeaten 135.
England still needed 73 for victory when the Durham all-rounder was joined at the crease by last man Jack Leach, but his brilliant innings, which included eight sixes and 11 fours, carried England from the brink of defeat to a one-wicket win.
🕞 3:17pm – 268-9
🕓 4:17pm – England win by one wicket"The Ashes well and truly alive because of one cricketer!"
Ben Stokes wrote his name into #Ashes folklore with an astonishing 💯 as England levelled the series with a historic one-wicket win at Headingley. #AshesBitesize pic.twitter.com/QTPmh2nyqQ
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 25, 2019
332 – 1928 v Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground
England needed an unlikely 332 to seal a stunning three-wicket win in the third Test of a five-match series Down Under and were led home by Yorkshire’s legendary batter Herbert Sutcliffe, who coincidentally made an undefeated 135.
Sutcliffe began the final day on 83 not out as England resumed on 171 for one and despite the fall of six more wickets, including Douglas Jardine and Wally Hammond, he guided his side home.
315 – 2001 v Australia at Headingley
Mark Butcher’s magnificent unbeaten 175 in the fourth Test at Headingley saw England chase down 315 in their second innings on the final day to seal a six-wicket win in the fourth Test, once again against Ashes rivals Australia.
Butcher was given admirable support by skipper Nasser Hussain (55) and Mark Ramprakash (32) in the days when Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne were in their pomp in the Australian attack.
305 – 1997 v New Zealand at Christchurch
Former England captain Michael Atherton was the hero on this occasion, in the third Test at Lancaster Park.
England were set a second-innings target of 305 and Atherton went into the final day on 65 as England resumed on 118 for two, still needing 179 for victory.
Atherton departed for 118 having helped England on to 226 for four and it was left to John Crawley and Dominic Cork to see them home with undefeated knocks of 40 and 39 respectively.
299 – 2022 v New Zealand at Trent Bridge
After bowling New Zealand out for 284 on the final day of the second Test, England required 299 for a memorable win.
Jonny Bairstow produced one of the all-time great Test innings for his country, bludgeoning his way to 136 off 92 balls, falling one ball short of equalling the fastest-ever century for England in Tests.
Skipper Stokes shrugged off a knee injury to help carry his side to victory, hitting the winning runs with a boundary in his undefeated 75 to again claim a key role in one of England’s highest run chases.
