Root ton puts England 1-0 up

LONDON, June 05 (AFP): Former England captain Joe Root scored an unbeaten century to give successor Ben Stokes a winning start to his reign with a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday.
Root stood down as England skipper in April after five years and a record 64 games in charge.
But he remains far and away the team's best batsman, with this hundred at the 'Home of Cricket' paving the way for just England's second win in 18 Tests.
Victory, achieved with more than a day to spare, also put England 1-0 up in a three-match series against the reigning World Test champions.
England, set 277 to win, finished on 279 for five, with Root 115 not out -- his first fourth-innings hundred at this level -- after the hosts had slumped to 69 for four.
He received excellent support from wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (32 not out) in an unbroken stand of 120, with the pair denying New Zealand a breakthrough after England resumed Sunday on their overnight 216 for five.
Root became just the 14th batsman and only second from England to reach the landmark total of 10,000 career Test runs when he completed his 26th hundred at this level.
Root was also the joint youngest player to score 10,000 Test runs, equalling retired England captain Alastair Cook's record of 31 years 157 days.
New Zealand were dismissed for just 132 in their first innings, only for England to struggle to 141 in reply.
'Mr Dependable', Joe Root, stood up. Scoring 100 and 10,000 runs -- what a player and what a man," said Stokes at the presentation ceremony.
Player of the match Root added: "Obviously it feels fantastic. More than anything, first of all, for us to have won this Test match after such a long time is the greatest feeling of all.
"I absolutely love the group of players that we play with and I couldn't wish for a better person to be leading this team."
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, reflecting on a see-saw contest, said: "I thought both teams fought hard and we saw how difficult it was and how much it changed throughout but take nothing away from the quality of the English performance."
England, came into this series -- their first under new coach Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain, bottom of the World Test Championship table.
And for all the talk of a new era, this win owed much to some of England's most experienced players.
The recalled new-ball duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England's two most successful Test bowlers of all time, took valuable wickets before Root made his match-winning century.