England

Root, 31, was speaking after his unbeaten 115 steered England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first LV= Insurance Test at Lord's.

"It got to the stage where it was time for someone else to lead. I'm not sure I'll be able to do some of the things he has done but I can certainly try." It wasn't fair on myself or my family and I want to enjoy my cricket. "I couldn't leave it in the car or at the cricket ground. Joe Root to Sky Sports: "I couldn't leave the captaincy in the car or at the cricket ground. It wasn't fair on myself or my family and I want to enjoy my cricket.

Former captain Joe Root's unbeaten century guided England to a five-wicket win against New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's on Sunday.

The one consolation for New Zealand is that, with a four-day finish at Lord's, both Boult and Southee should be well-rested come Friday's start of the second Test at Trent Bridge. Southee (none for 87 in 23.5 overs) and Boult (one for 73 in 24) appeared to run out of steam, hardly surprising given the vast difference between Test cricket and an IPL where bowlers are restricted to a maximum of four overs per innings. Victory over the World Test champion saw England make a fine start to life under their new red-ball leadership duo of skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain.

Happy not being captain? Root joins historic 10k club as brilliant ton carries England to Test win.

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. But he remains far and away the team’s best batsman, with his decisive hundred at the ‘Home of Cricket’ paving the way for just England’s second win in 18 Tests as they went 1-0 up in a three-match series against the reigning World Test champions. 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.

The former captain can now concentrate on his batting and he produced the most enjoyable of his 26 centuries for England.

He said it felt like one of the best he had ever played, but he is batting so very well that he is acutely aware of even the tiniest mistakes, so he dwelled on the one imperfection, when he cut the ball past his own stumps on 92. “I think I was unaware of how much it was grabbing a hold of me, as soon as I made the decision to step down I knew it was the right thing to do. Root did say that it was perhaps the most enjoyable of his 26 centuries. “It’s been a long time for this team.” Nine months and eight days, to be exact, a run of nine Tests spread over three series in England, Australia and the West Indies. You guess he would happily give away some of those runs in exchange for a few more wins. He says it had become an “unhealthy relationship”, that it was affecting his fitness and dragging him, and his family, down. He says he had found it increasingly hard to sleep in the last few months of his captaincy, the cares he had gone to bed with the previous evening burst back in on him as soon as he was awake again – bowling changes, field placings, form, fitness, media commitments.

Joe Root carried England to victory in the first Test against New Zealand on Sunday with a match-winning ce...

Root finished the job in a blaze of glory, taking Southee for three boundaries in an over as he wrapped things up with a merry swing through mid-wicket. Root started the 77th over on 98 runs in the innings and 9,998 in his career and pinged Southee to mid-wicket for a couple to bring up a proud double. A fragile tail, featuring at least three natural number 11s, also cranked up the responsibility on the overnight pairing of Root and Foakes.

England's match-winner opens up on strains of leadership after return to the ranks.

"As hard as it was, obviously it's been a huge privilege and something that I'm extremely proud to have done, but it's time for a new phase in my career. "I had thrown everything at it and I was determined to help turn this team around but I realised over that time at home that it would have to be in a different way. As emotional as it was for him, it was fantastic for me to see a very close friend walk off after leading England to victory. "I obviously tried as much as I could, but I think I was unaware of how much it was grabbing hold of me," he admitted. It wasn't fair on my family, on people close to me, and it wasn't fair on myself either. "It had become a very unhealthy relationship to be honest, the captaincy and me," Root admitted after his innings on Sunday. "It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health.

Former captain Joe Root gave successor Ben Stokes the perfect start to his reign by carrying England to victory over New Zealand in the first Test at ...

To come away with the win obviously makes it even better." "It was a great Test match. "Obviously it feels fantastic.

A rejuvenated Joe Root has admitted his reign as England captain had descended into "an unhealthy relationship", forcing...

"I'm proud of the way I did the role. "It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health. "I'm very excited to do that now and to do everything I can to help Ben really turn this team around and make this team the force it should and can be.

Joe Root, back with a matchwinning Test ton against New Zealand, revealed he quit England's captaincy after it had descended into "an unhealthy ...

"I'm proud of the way I did the role. "It started to really take a bad toll on my own personal health. "I'm very excited to do that now and to do everything I can to help Ben really turn this team around and make this team the force it should and can be.

Gareth Southgate has warned England fans that misbehaviour before a game has a negative effect on his camp's preparations, amid concerns that the match ...

We have supporters from all parts of the country who travel brilliantly, and leave foreign countries with a great feeling about England and English supporters. We’ve still got to try to police that as well as we can, and make sure we keep stopping people from doing those things. You are embarrassed when you hear about it, because you know it’s a representation of your country, in the same way there’s been a brilliant representation of that across the world in the last couple of days.