‘ I have got tons to give’
not being renewed. Gutierrez said: “A few months ago I didn’t know if could be here again. But I am here, I am enjoying playing football and happy to be given a second chance in my life.”
He was the last player to exit the pitch at the end to a standing ovation and added: “The fans don’t deserve to be in this position. We have to look forward and we need to be in the top 10, not towards the bottom.” Mike Ashley set the tone on a
slightly surreal BEN STOKES has challenged himself to become ‘ Mr Consistent’ after his recordbreaking century here put England in a strong position in the fi rst Investec Test against New Zealand.
The hard- hitting all- rounder missed out on a spot on the honours board in the fi rst innings when falling eight runs short of a century.
But yesterday he made no mistake, racing to the fastest Test hundred ever seen at the ground as England thrilled the crowd.
They fi nished on 429- 6, a lead of 295, with skipper Alastair Cook unbeaten on 153.
Stokes was modesty personifi ed after hitting 101, his century coming up in just 85 balls – a reaction with its roots in a diffi cult time last year when he could not buy a run and was dropped from both Test and ODI teams.
“It is a funny game and on another day I could have holed out for 10 and looked stupid,” said Stokes.
“While it is nice to P W D L F APTS break records it wasn’t NEWCASTLE 38 10 9 19 40 63
39 something I was aiming SUNDERLAND 38 7 17 14 31 53
38 to do – it was just one of ASTON VILLA 38 10 8 20 31 57
38 those days where HULL ( R) 38 8 11 19 33 51
35 everything went right. BURNLEY ( R) 38 7 12 19 28 53
33 To eventually get that QPR ( R) 38 8 6 24 42 73
30 single to go to 100