Ben Stokes would much rather play alongside Mark Wood than face his England team-mate as he backed the fast bowler to break 100mph soon.

The Durham quick clocked 97.1mph – the fastest delivery of his Test career – on the speed gun in the second red-ball encounter against the West Indies at Trent Bridge.

Indeed, none of the 34-year-old's balls registered lower than 90mph during an electrifying opening spell before Wood removed Kevin Sinclair with a vicious delivery on Sunday.

Sinclair could only fend into the air for a simple dismissal, with the Windies' off-spinner ruled out of the third Test at Edgbaston after that blow fractured his left forearm.

England captain Stokes believes there is more to come from Wood, which is a worrying warning to the visitors.

"He's got it in the tank," said Stokes. "He's been close a couple of times. Maybe one day."

Shoaib Akthar and Shaun Tait are the only Test bowlers to register a delivery at 100mph, with Wood's speed expected to be key for The Ashes in Australia across the end of next year and start of 2026.

"He seems to be getting closer and closer to that," Stokes added. "But I'm happy with what he's doing right now to be honest.

"Being able to sustain that pace is quite phenomenal. Look at his average speeds every time he plays a Test match – it's always above 90mph. That says a lot about his fitness.

"It's all fine and well trying to bowl one spell above 90. But every spell he bowls for England, he's clocking over 90mph, and that's a great thing to have as a captain.

"I don't know if he's actually too bothered about it. One day, everything might click, or the speed gun might be wrong.

"We probably wouldn't hear the end of it. Who knows, maybe one day."

Wood will be expected to unleash his pace once more after Stokes named an unchanged XI for the third and final Test at Edgbaston, where play starts on Friday.

Ben Stokes hailed Shoaib Bashir after the 20-year-old's five-wicket haul helped England clinch a series victory over West Indies on Sunday.

England surged to a 243-run victory on day four at Trent Bridge, with Bashir finishing with figures of 5-41.

The hosts started the day 248-3 thanks to a terrific partnership between Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109), ultimately setting the Windies a target of 385 to win.

Bashir bowled a spell of 3-8 in 15 deliveries, then put some gloss on his performance by rounding off the tail with the dismissals of Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, captain Stokes said: "I didn't see it happening that quickly after the opening partnership, I thought they played well.

"You could see at the end of our innings the wicket started misbehaving more than it did in the first three days, a couple were bouncing and then keeping low.

"I thought the way we fought back after that first wicket was impressive, Bashir getting five wickets on a wicket that didn't really do that much.

"I thought he showed his class and his ability to be able to change his pace and undercut the ball. The wicket of Jason Holder showed the world what he's got."

England will now target a series sweep when the Windies go to Edgbaston next week, before taking on Sri Lanka in three Tests between late August and early September.

"It has been a great start after a long break between Test series. I think we've played some good cricket but I still think we can get better," Stokes said.

"I'm really looking forward to the next four matches."

Ben Stokes says it is an "exciting time" to be a fast bowler for England as they prepare for their second Test against the West Indies this week.

England won the first Test by an innings and 114 runs at Lord's last week, with James Anderson, their all-time leading wicket-taker, playing for the final time.

Chris Woakes, now the senior seamer in the squad, will lead the attack at Trent Bridge in his 50th Test, along with Gus Atkinson, who impressed on his debut by taking 12 wickets.

With Anderson joining England's coaching staff, Mark Wood, who was unavailable for the first Test after playing in the T20 World Cup, has been called up to replace him.

Matthew Potts and uncapped Dillon Pennington make up the rest of the fast bowlers, with Stokes excited by the upcoming talent in the squad.

"It's a really exciting time to be a fast bowler in England," Stokes told BBC Sport.

"It is very exciting, the prospect of seeing Gus Atkinson bowl at one end and Mark Wood at the other.

"There will be opportunities for Dillon, no doubt, in the summer, but at this moment in time, Woody makes it into our strongest XI."

After their comprehensive win last week, England can take an unassailable 2-0 lead with another victory in Nottingham and would seal their first series win since the tour of Pakistan in 2022.

However, Thursday's Test will be the first time since 2012 that England will play at home without either Anderson or Stuart Broad, who retired last year.

"Without sounding too over the top, there was always going to be a time where that was going to hit English cricket," said Stokes.

"There are going to be opportunities for guys throughout the rest of the summer and over the next 18 months to two years."

Ben Stokes labelled Gus Atkinson's debut England Test as "unbelievable", going on to call the retiring James Anderson "one of the GOATs" of English cricket. 

Stokes captained England to a comfortable triumph over the West Indies at Lord's on Friday, winning by an innings and 114 runs. 

Anderson ended his glittering career in style, bowling out Joshua Da Silva (9) for his 704th and final wicket for England. 

"A lot of people turned up to watch us but it was great to send Jimmy off the way he deserves," Stokes said.  

"We weren't quite banking on it to finish on day three but it is an amazing crowd. He is one of the 'GOATs' of English cricket.

"We had Gus Atkinson on debut with a chance of getting a 10-fer and Jimmy in his last game.

"It would have been an amazing end for him to take the last wicket like his great mate Stuart Broad but the one positive is no-one will lose sleep over it as he is the one who dropped it, he only has himself to blame."

Meanwhile, Atkinson became just the 19th male player to take a 10-fer on his Test match debut, his figures of 12-106 are the fourth-best anyone has managed in their first match.

The Surrey fast bowler claimed the final wicket on Friday to cap off a memorable debut, drawing praise from Stokes. 

"Unbelievable. The first time I saw him in person was against India at the World Cup. I had seen him on TV before but when you observe someone in person you get an understanding," Stokes added. 

"He isn't just about out-and-out pace, he has the skill as well. His ceiling is so high. Jamie Smith as well, two players having excellent debuts."

Jamie Smith starred on his Test debut as he struck a half-cenutry to help England edge closer to a resounding victory against the West Indies at Lord's. 

Smith scored 70 runs from 119 deliveries as England followed on from their opening day dominance, ending the day with a 171-run lead over their opponents. 

The debutant was one of five players to reach a half-century, with Joe Root (68) and Harry Brook (50) backing up the opening day totals scored by Zak Crawley (76) and Ollie Pope (57).

England led by 250 runs after being bowled out for 371 and continued their dominance with the ball in hand. 

Anderson opened England's attack and got the first wicket of the afternoon, bowling West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite before capturing Alick Athanaze late on for his 703rd international wicket.

Ben Stokes also took two wickets (2-25) which included Jason Holder off the final ball of the day to leave the West Indies 79-6 heading into tomorrow's action. 

Data Debrief: Stokes and Smith impress at Lord's

Stokes two wickets at Lord's saw him claim his 200th Test wicket. In doing so, he became just the 3rd player to score 6,000 runs and take 200+ wickets in men's test history, after Jacques Kallis & Sir Garry Sobers.

With the bat, Smith's score of 70 is the 5th best on Test debut for an England men's wicketkeeper. Only Matt Prior - 126* v West Indies (Lord's 2007), Ben Foakes - 107 v Sri Lanka (Galle 2018) Jack Russell - 94 v Sri Lanka (Lord's 1988) Jos Buttler - 85 v India (Southampton 2014) have scored more. 

And while doing the damage with the ball in hand, Anderson was kept quiet with the bat. It was the seventh time that he has batted in a test innings but not faced a delivery, the first time since 2019.

Ben Stokes may regret his attacking approach to the Ashes after what England great David Gower sees as a missed opportunity.

England have transformed their red-ball fortunes under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, winning 13 of their 18 Tests after embracing a free-flowing, attacking mentality in the longest format.

An Ashes series victory proved a challenge too great, though, with England recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 – a result that saw Australia retain the urn.

Stokes' tactics have come into question, with England's insistence on attacking sometimes their downfall, and Gower believes the all-rounder may look back with slight regret.

Gower told Stats Perform: "Stokes says that he doesn't want to worry about hindsight, which doesn't win you any games and all the rest of it.

"But there will be thoughts along those lines, because when they look at it next year, it says 2-2 and you were part of that team that could have regained The Ashes.

"Stokes could have been At The Oval, with that little urn in his hand saying I have regained the Ashes or you better say 'we' with this team ethic.

"That would be there again for all to see for the rest of history. But I'm afraid it’s not quite the case."

While Gower suggested Stokes may reconsider his plans at a future date, the former England captain still hailed the new approach against the red ball.

He added: "My view is a mixture of old and new. I love the new approach, especially the culture that Stokes and McCullum have bred in the team since that partnership came together last year.

"I'd imagine that playing in that dressing room must be an enormous pleasure because it takes the pressure off a bad day, takes the pressure off failure, and it encourages people to look ahead.

"The one thing that could have made this series different is being slightly more match aware, slightly smarter at key moments.

"England could have made more runs in the second innings at Edgbaston, put themselves further ahead, played Australia a little bit further out of the game made it harder for them to win the game. In the end, Australia win the game.

"England could have batted like Stokes did at Lord's when the bouncer barrage was coming, Stokes took the blows to the body, and others played shots that got them out.

"There was a collapse from 180 for none, as it were, suddenly were 200 for plenty. And things like that change games in Test cricket.

"Five-day cricket is all about sustaining the effort and the quality throughout, but a bad hour or a bad session can cost you games and that's what happened at Lord's."

A high-quality Ashes series was likely only robbed of a winner due to the rain at Old Trafford, where the fourth Test was washed out on the weekend with England in the ascendancy.

Australia return Down Under with the urn but Gower believes – despite the thrilling encounters – both sides may look back with some sense of a missed opportunity.

He continued: "I think for both teams, at the end of the series, Australia looked a bit muted, because although they retained the Ashes, they struggled in the last three games. 

"Australia would have rued the fact they let things slide a little bit, at the same time I'd give all the credit to England, for the way they played their cricket to put the pressure back on Australia. 

"It was interesting to watch the Australians, they had a very brief celebration in front of the crowd at The Oval but it wasn't sort of leaping up and down saying we've held the Ashes.

"You don't do laps of honour when you've drawn a series, you do laps of honour at the MCG when you have won The Ashes Down Under. Graeme Swann and the sprinkler and all the rest of it.

"It was probably almost a feeling of, actually, we've put everything on the field. They put everything into that series, both sides.

"At the end of it, not so much a relief but a sort of acknowledgement, that 2-2 is probably fair. You sit down and you feel relief, it's a shame that it's all over.

"People would have loved to see this thing, carry on almost you play 10 Tests, keep up the intensity, keep up the rivalry. But there's also a sort of sense of well, it's over now.

"You cast your mind back to all the ups and downs of six, seven weeks of high-pressure cricket."

Ben Stokes' development to become an "extraordinary leader" for England's Test side was not something David Gower could have foreseen previously.

Brendon McCullum and Stokes have formed a fearsome duo as England's captain and coach combination of their red-ball side, winning 13 of 18 Tests since joining together.

A stark upturn in fortunes for England's previously flailing side in the longest format of cricket has been led by Stokes and McCullum's insistence to play a free-flowing, attacking style against the red ball.

A 2-2 series draw in the most recent Ashes series further served to grow Stokes' stature as a captain, and former England skipper Gower acknowledged he could not have predicted this development before.

"I think Ben Stokes has proven himself to be an extraordinary leader of a cricket team and men," Gower told Stats Perform. 

"There is a lot about him that knowing him six or seven years ago, I just wouldn't have believed possible. But life has taught him all sorts of lessons.

"First of all, he has a great instinct for the game and a great instinct for pushing a game ahead to win. He loves winning and doesn't like losing, so will hurt for the ones they've lost, but hates drawing even more.

"That's an extraordinary attitude to have, because so many new captains, including his predecessor, Joe Root, would have taken a very different attitude to the possibility of a draw.

"He's created this culture along with McCullum, but he's got the instinct for the game."

Australia retained the Ashes after a 2-2 away series draw, having won the previous edition Down Under, after racing into a 2-0 lead in England with victories at Edgbaston and Lord's.

A first-innings declaration in the first Test at Edgbaston by Stokes, with Root on an unbeaten century and set to punish the toiling Australian bowlers, caused some questions.

Yet Gower refused to criticise Stokes for his decision to again try and push the red-ball outing towards a result.

He added: "The declaration at Edgbaston was derided by some and there's a fair case to argue there but was an interesting one, because [Stuart] Broad against [David] Warner was a tasty morsel at the start of an Ashes series.

"It could have laid down on marker but it didn't, but there you go, it's worth a go. But he has empathy for his players, he seems to understand his players.

"Good captains need to be on duty all the time. You've got decisions to make all the time. There will be mistakes, and there'll be ones you might revise with time to think about it, but you've got to go with your gut.

"Got to go with your instinct, and you've got to take people with you. And that is clearly evident with Stokes and McCullum, but Stokes as captain has taken that team with him all the way through."

While Stokes has largely been heralded for his influence as captain, Australian counterpart Pat Cummins came under scrutiny for a somewhat defensive plan to stem the flow of England's attacking output.

"You've got two very different teams, the makeup of the two teams is very, very different," Gower continued. "So Cummins' options were different.

"Cummins has one of the best attacks in the world at his disposal, and he is the leader of that attack. He also had a very good man, dare I say, in Steve Smith as his vice-captain.

"You need someone else besides you, who can advise and point things out and be in your ear to help you along.

"Both [captains] at various stages lead from the front. Stokes' 150 at Lord's was just awesome to watch. Cummins, at Birmingham with the bat, those crucial runs at the end. 

"He saw it through, lead from the front himself."

Gower also suggested the different options at the captain's disposal somewhat dictated their respective plans.

"The difference is England have six or seven batsmen who can force the pace," he said. "So they were always going to play that way, trust their instincts and accept the mistakes that come along with taking risks.

"Australia are always going to have to play at a different pace to England. That's why the 2-2 result at the end proves that there are various ways to skin a cat, and you can win games by being good at what you do. 

"Cummins and Stokes had different options. That's why in the end, I think it's so fascinating to see it all finish up with the series all square."

Ben Stokes has promised to continue England's aggressive and attacking style and eased concerns over his own fitness ahead of the Ashes this summer. 

Stokes, who succeeded Joe Root to become England's Test captain last year, has implemented an aggressive approach and has led the side to 10 wins out of 12 since taking charge.

England have not won an Ashes series against Australia since 2015, but their skipper has promised not to deviate from this new style when they face the top-ranked Test side. 

"I'm not going to change anything just because it's the Ashes," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"I'm not going to change for anything or any situation, because then I'm not being true to myself and what I've done over the last year. 

"Every player knows the Ashes is where everything ramps up a bit – pressure, exposure, all kinds of stuff – but we'll just keep sticking to what we do.

"If you plan for negativity, it is inevitable it is going to happen." 

English pitches have notoriously been prepared to suit their swing bowlers, but the England captain revealed he has now requested flatter pitches to help benefit their swashbuckling batting approach and abundance of fast-bowling talent. 

"We want fast, flat wickets. We want to go out there and score quickly," he said. "I'm smiling because I'm looking forward to it. 

"I think having the option to have someone who can bowl above 90 miles per hour is what any captain wants.

"Hold me to it. Every game I play this summer will be to produce a result."

Stokes is close to knowing his XI for the first Test and has been boosted by his own fitness after concerns about his knee after England's Test series in New Zealand.

The all-rounder bowled himself sparingly in that series and has not played for Chennai Super Kings in their last two IPL games but said he is now bowling "pain-free" for the first time in over a year. 

"I've worked so hard over the last month, five weeks, to get where I am now," he said.

"That's down to a lot of hard work I've done – medically, in the gym, and I obviously had a bit of help with some cortisone injections.

"The main priority for me is making sure that I can fulfil my role as fourth seamer in the Ashes.

"I've had some good conversations with the people who are employed to look after us, body-wise. I said I'll be doing everything I can whilst I'm in India to make sure that when we get to the Ashes, I'll give myself the best opportunity to do my role."

The Ashes is coming up this year, and so too is the Cricket World Cup.

But the roaring success of the Indian Premier League means its 16th season is anticipated on a similar level to those totemic events on the cricket calendar.

And why not? There is no greater franchise competition in cricket, featuring star names from across the globe playing to vast crowds and huge television audiences.

A measure of the boom in IPL popularity came when its broadcast rights were sold in the wake of last year's tournament, with five-year deals bringing in 48,390.5 crore (£4.8billion), testament to the tournament's enormous appeal.

Among leagues worldwide, only the NFL is said to have bigger per-game TV deals, with the spectacle of T20 cricket becoming a big winner with spectators, sponsors, broadcasters and advertisers.

Heading into the 2023 season, which begins on Friday with an eye-catching tussle between defending champions Gujarat Titans and 2021 winners Chennai Super Kings, Stats Perform has identified potential key storylines for the new campaign.

How can Buttler follow his MVP season?

Jos Buttler had a staggering campaign last time out for Rajasthan Royals, hitting 863 runs in 17 innings at an average of 57.53, with four centuries to his name. That was as many centuries as everyone else in the IPL combined managed to score.

He finished 247 runs ahead of KL Rahul, who was second on the batting list. Buttler cracked 83 fours and 45 sixes, and he has since been appointed England's white-ball captain.

This is a huge year for Buttler, with England defending their title at the World Cup, and all eyes will be on the 32-year-old to see how he contributes for the Royals.

Chris Gayle, in 2011 and 2012, is the only batter to have finished as top scorer in consecutive IPL seasons.

This is a league that brings explosive moments, and Australian bowler Pat Cummins surprisingly managed the fastest fifty with the bat last year, achieving the feat from 14 balls for Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians.

With the ball, Buttler's Rajasthan team-mate Yuzvendra Chahal took a league-leading 27 wickets, at an average of 19.51 and with a 7.75 economy rate. He was the only bowler to take a hat-trick in the 2022 IPL, doing so against KKR.

The economy rate king was two-time former MVP Sunil Narine, who gave up an average of 5.57 runs in his 56 overs, albeit taking just a modest nine wickets.

CSK seek immediate statement win

Gujarat were champions in their debut season last time around, while defending champions Chennai finished a miserable ninth out of 10 teams.

This time CSK are determined to start strongly and banish memories of 2022, and one way or another it promises to be a memorable campaign.

It appears likely to be MS Dhoni's final IPL campaign, with the 41-year-old giant of the game and former India captain reportedly considering whether to call time on his illustrious playing career.

Dhoni would want to go out on a high, and in the hope of building a winning team CSK have taken an expensive plunge by bringing in England Test captain Ben Stokes.

There are suggestions Stokes could inherit Dhoni's talisman status at CSK, although there has been an early blow with the all-rounder not expected to bowl in the early stages of the tournament due to concern over his left knee.

CSK suffered another setback to their bowling department when they lost New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson to a back injury, replacing him with South Africa paceman Sisanda Magala.

Could pulling the Short straw work out well for Punjab Kings?

Jonny Bairstow would have been lining up for Punjab Kings, but a freak golf course injury continues to keep the England wicketkeeper-batter out of action.

In his place comes Australian Matthew Short, who has yet to play international cricket or feature in the IPL, but the 27-year-old is experiencing quite a moment in his career.

Short was player of the tournament in Australia's Big Bash League, the domestic T20 competition, when he scored 458 runs for Adelaide Strikers and became just the third player in 12 seasons to hit 400 runs and take 10 wickets in a single season.

He will fancy stepping up to IPL level and continuing his rich run of form, and joins a franchise that has seen significant change since finishing sixth last year. Punjab have a new captain and new coach, with Shikhar Dhawan and Trevor Bayliss replacing Mayank Agarwal and Anil Kumble.

PBKS will hope Short makes a long-lasting impact, while they are trusting a huge investment in Sam Curran pays off after making the England all-rounder the most expensive player in IPL history, landing him in the draft for 18.5 Cr (£1.85million).

Changes across the board

A year is a long time in the IPL, and there have been a host of new appointments.

Australian veteran and IPL master blaster David Warner has taken over as captain of Delhi Capitals due to Rishabh Pant being ruled out while he recovers from the major car accident he experienced in December.

Brendon McCullum's move to coach England means Kolkata needed a new man in charge, and they have brought in Chandrakant Pandit, while Brian Lara has taken over from Tom Moody with Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Mark Boucher will pull the strings with Mumbai Indians after Mahela Jayawardene became global head of performance.

Ben Stokes is not risking fitness for this year's Ashes series by playing in the Indian Premier League, insists England head coach Brendon McCullum.

England's Test captain has signed for Chennai Super Kings with the IPL season starting on March 31, ahead of the Ashes getting underway on June 16 in Birmingham.

Stokes struggled with his left knee in England's Test defeat to New Zealand in Wellington, where he could only bowl two overs while batting for 33 runs on the final day.

But McCullum has no concerns.

"I don't think he's jeopardising the Ashes. The skipper has a strong mind, and he knows how to get right for the big moments," he told reporters.

"In fact I look forward to watching him play for Chennai, and see him play cricket without the captaincy and having to worry about everyone else.

"We know when he comes back to us, he'll have that bit between his teeth. I also believe the Ashes is the script the skipper is waiting to write."

Stokes has delivered in huge moments for England, from starring in their 2019 World Cup victory to stunning Australia in a famous Ashes Test at Headingley when the series was last played on English soil four years ago.

He also scored an unbeaten 52 to propel England to victory at the T20 World Cup last year and has become the quickest Test captain to reach 10 wins.

At Chennai, he will play under head coach Stephen Fleming, who was once New Zealand team-mates with McCullum.

"I've got a tee-time with him, so I'll be making sure he looks after the skipper," said McCullum of Fleming.

"Chennai have a very good set-up, and they have an outstanding leader in Flem. He sees the big picture in everything, so I've no concerns."

Australia won the last Ashes 4-0 but after developing a distinct style of play since McCullum's appointment, England look primed to take the fight to the tourists. 

"This team has grown over the last eight or nine months," McCullum added. "I think the players have become more at ease with how we're playing, and it's become more authentic.

"Our style certainly does give us the best chance of being able to topple a good Australian side.

"We know it won't be easy but with eight or nine months development of that style under our belts, we should be hard to beat. Bring it on!"

Tim Southee hailed New Zealand's dramatic one-run win over England as a great advert for Test cricket and revelled in the "pretty special" victory.

The Black Caps became just the fourth side in history to win a Test match having been asked to follow-on from the first innings.

A dramatic fifth day saw Neil Wagner, who finished with four wickets, claim the final scalp of James Anderson as England were all out for 256 needing 258 for victory.

It means the series finished tied at 1-1, with Black Caps skipper Southee talking up the resolve of his side.

"I have to say it ranks right up there," he told BT Sport. "There have only been a handful of sides to be asked to follow on and win, so it is pretty special.

"We were on the back foot after two days and the character shown over the last three days has been really pleasing."

The defeat was only England's second in 11 Tests with Ben Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum as coach.

Their exciting brand of 'Bazball' cricket fell short on this occasion, and the form they have shown made victory even sweeter for Southee.

"It is great for Test cricket the way England have been playing and it was another great Test match to be involved in," he added.

"All the guys here cherish Test cricket and hopefully having matches like this will be good for Test cricket going forward."

Ben Stokes felt "blessed" to have taken part in one of the all-time great Test finishes and has no regrets in enforcing the follow-on despite England's one-run loss to New Zealand.

Neil Wagner took four wickets, including the final scalp of James Anderson, as England were bowled for 256 requiring 258 for victory.

It meant the series finished tied at 1-1, while New Zealand became only the fourth team to win a Test having been forced to follow-on.

"It is disappointing to not win, but we look at the bigger picture," England captain Stokes told BT Sport.

"What everyone has enjoyed here today is probably bigger than any disappointment at the moment.

"Being in that situation in the last half an hour, it is everything you wish for.

"And even though we came out on the wrong side of it, you can't help but feel blessed that we managed to be a part of an incredible game like that."

England declared with two wickets remaining in their first innings and asked New Zealand to bat again after knocking the Black Caps over for 209.

But instead of going back to the crease to give New Zealand something to chase, Stokes opted to have the hosts bat again – a decision he would not change.

"Imagine captaining in hindsight? That's not something I would ever do," he said.

"It was always our game to lose once we had enforced the follow-on. The logic was our bowlers had ripped through their top order three innings in a row and we knew New Zealand had to play pretty much the perfect game to put us in a situation like this.

"Batting in the last innings chasing 250 is not something we were worried about, but you have to give huge credit to New Zealand not just for the way they batted in their second innings but the way they bowled and managed to get early wickets with not too many runs on the board.

"Other teams are allowed to pay better than us and New Zealand played better than us this week."

Stokes said Anderson's reaction to being the final wicket, where he walked off smiling, summed up the feeling of everyone playing in the Test match.

"I didn't know how Jimmy would react when he walked off," Stokes added.

"He's been in those positions before where he's walked off disappointed, but the fact he was walking off smiling made everything we talk and speak about true and a reality."

England require another 210 runs for victory with nine wickets in hand after the history-making Kane Williamson set up a thrilling fifth-day finale with his 26th Test century in Wellington on Monday.

Williamson became New Zealand's all-time leading Test run scorer on his way to 132 as the Black Caps posted 483 in their second innings to set England a target of 258 for victory in the second Test.

The hosts potentially could have set England a target beyond 300 if not for spinner Jack Leach cleaning up the tail in quick time, finishing with 5-157, as New Zealand lost their final four wickets for five runs.

After Zak Crawley survived a Devon Conway run-out chance, Tim Southee removed the opener by jagging one back to take the top of off-stump as England reached stumps at 48-1 from 11 overs, with Ben Duckett (23 not out) and night watchman Ollie Robinson (1 not out) at the crease.

Victory is on the table for either side, with New Zealand roaring back into the contest as they look for a series-levelling win to preserve their record of not losing a home Test series since 2017.

The hosts resumed at 202-3, trailing by 24 runs, and lost Henry Nicholls for 29 to Ollie Robinson before they had got ahead of the ledger. Daryl Mitchell fell to Stuart Broad for a run-a-ball 54 before Williamson took charge alongside Tom Blundell in a 158-run stand which ensured the hosts a shot at victory.

The second session belonged to Williamson and Blundell who batted through, with the former skipper reaching triple figures before tea, while James Anderson dropped the latter.

Williamson eventually departed for 132 from 282 deliveries when Ben Stokes' hopeful review revealed he had tickled a leg-side delivery from Harry Brook, bowling at Test level for the first time, to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Foakes' quick thinking led to Michael Bracewell's inexplicable run out before the Black Caps' tail fell meekly searching for fast runs, eager for a crack at England's top order late in the day's play.

Run-chase experts

England have won 10 of their last 11 Tests with fourth-inning run chases and are unlikely to be fazed by the target, despite history suggesting otherwise. The tourists started positively despite their awkward 11-over stay in the final session, erasing almost 20 per cent of the target already.

Black Caps in the game

On the flip side, New Zealand are in with a shot at a remarkable victory. Only three teams in Test history have previously won a game after being made to follow-on.

Joe Root was in the mood to gush about the talents of his successor as England captain, Ben Stokes, after his own "solid contribution" helped put the tourists in a strong position in the second Test in New Zealand.

England started day two on 315-3, adding another quickfire 120 before declaring on 435-8, with Root unbeaten on 153.

The bowlers were able to reduce New Zealand to 138-7 before rain stopped play, with James Anderson and Jack Leach taking three wickets each.

There had been some surprise when Stokes called the declaration immediately after Root passed 150, but it allowed England time to claim the two early wickets of Devon Conway and Kane Williamson before lunch.

"I think it was a brilliant call from Ben," Root said. "It felt like that 40 minutes before the break, the sun was out and with 40 minutes of sun, a heavy roller and 40 minutes of sun at lunch, it might have changed the wicket.

"It didn't work out like that, it gave a better opportunity to make the most of the conditions. The way we're playing at the minute with the confidence we've got, seeing the ball move around with the number one Test bowler [Anderson], the two leading wicket-takers we've ever had [Anderson and Stuart Broad], it just seemed a very brave and attacking option. Full credit to Ben, as you'd expect, for taking it on.

"He's just walked so naturally into the role, he's managing the game really well and everyone is responding to it. I just think was a brilliant call from him, it would have been very easy for us to keep going and we might not be sat here with them seven down tonight. Credit to him, he's doing a great job."

Root's partnership of 302 with Harry Brook (186) was the third-best for the fourth wicket in England Test history, and fell just eight runs shy of the best partnership overseas, behind Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen's 310 in Adelaide in 2006.

"I felt like I owed that to the group," Root said of his 153. "It's been a while since I made a solid contribution. To be part of such a big partnership was really pleasing and I think the best thing was I had the best seat in the house to watch Harry go about his business.

"It's a joy to watch him play at the minute. He certainly made my life a lot easier out there, the way he manages to wrestle momentum in our favour and constantly put bowlers under pressure.

"I felt we had a really good understanding, we negated a few modes of dismissal by getting down the crease. We fed off each quite nicely and made it difficult for them to bowl one length for us."

Ben Stokes does not see James Anderson stopping any time soon after the "relentless" England seamer returned to the top of the Test bowling rankings.

Australia captain Pat Cummins had occupied the top spot since February 2019, while Anderson was last at the summit in November 2018.

At the age of 40, he is the oldest bowler to reach the top of the rankings since Clarrie Grimmett in 1936.

Anderson took 7-54 across New Zealand's two innings in England's 267-run win at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui last week, and captain Stokes says his side are fortunate to have him.

"Albeit him being 40, I just can't see him stopping," Stokes told reporters ahead of the second Test at Basin Reserve in Wellington.

"Every time he turns out there, he's one of the main guys you throw the ball to when you feel like you need a wicket. He's just relentless with everything that he does.

"We're very lucky to have him. Rightfully so he's back at the top. I know sometimes those rankings don't mean much to people, but in our opinion, he has been one of the best, if not the best, for longer than what these rankings say."

Asked if Anderson cracked a smile at the news, Stokes quipped: "No. I don't think he'll be that fussed by it, to be honest - he'll just keep doing his thing."

New Zealand skipper Tim Southee also lavished praise on Anderson.

"He's phenomenal and has been for a long period of time," Southee said. "To have played as many Test matches as he's had is phenomenal on its own.

"He doesn't look like he's slowing down any stage. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching it from afar and any time you play against them it's a great chance to catch up and talk to them. To see a 40-year-old sitting at the top of the charts is pretty impressive."

Anderson made more history with his performance in the first Test, as he and Stuart Broad dethroned Australia greats Glenn McGrath and the late Shane Warne as the pair of team-mates with the most Test wickets between them while playing in the same side.

Broad and Anderson have taken 1,009 Test wickets combined from 133 appearances together – Warne and McGrath reached their total in 104 matches.

Stokes has named an unchanged team for the second Test, which starts on Friday, with New Zealand striving to salvage a draw.

While Broad and Anderson did the damage with the ball, Harry Brook was named player of the match after making 89 and 54, while Joe Root returned to form with a half-century in the second innings.