Bairstow slams second-fastest Test hundred by an Englishman

Jonny Bairstow scored the second-fastest hundred by an English player in Test cricket against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday.

Jonny Bairstow of England celebrates his hundred against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Jonny Bairstow scored the second-fastest hundred by an English player in Test cricket against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Tuesday.

Bairstow reached the three-digit mark off 77 balls, missing Gilbert Jessop's record by a whisker, who scored a 76-ball hundred against Australia in 1902.

In a sensational spree of clean-hitting, Bairstow struck 14 fours and seven sixes for his 92-ball 136 before edging behind to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell off Trent Boult.

After England was struggling at 93 for four, chasing 299 on the final day, Bairstow and Ben Stokes took England within touching distance with a scorching 179-run stand off 121 balls for the fifth wicket. Incidentally, Stokes is the third fastest centurion for England in Tests with an 85-ball ton against the Kiwis in 2015 at Lord's.