Root of success

Along string of defeats for the England cricket team finally ended at Lord’s yesterday, with an unlikely victory on his debut as captain for Ben Stokes over the world’s top-rated side, New Zealand. But it was his predecessor, Joe Root – who stepped down after losing to the West Indies – who steered the team home to a five-wicket win with yet another century. More than that, he passed 10,000 runs in the process, the joint youngest batsman to achieve this milestone at exactly the same age as Sir Alastair Cook, joining some of the greats of the game. Root never lost his form while captain; indeed he scored prodigiously. But without the additional weight of responsibility who knows what he can do now.