London, May 29 (ANI): England captain Alastair Cook has defended his decision not to enforce the follow-on and has claimed complete vindication for England's safety-first approach to the second Test at Headingley against New Zealand.
Off-spinner Graeme Swann led England to a 2-0 victory in the Test series against New Zealand through a small window of opportunity between the Leeds showers to claim 10 wickets in a match for the third time in his international career, the Guardian reports.
Although Cook's determination not to enforce follow-on had threatened to cost England a 2-0 whitewash of the Black Caps following the rains, umpires responded to England's urgency by ordering a resumption of the game after the rains relented, which led to the 247-run victory.
Stating that the result has vindicated his decision, Cook said that to win by 250 runs, and in just over three days' cricket, was an outstanding performance, adding that they went up a level from Lord's in all aspects of their play.
Cook will lead England's 50-over squad into a three-match series against New Zealand, starting at Lord's on Friday, followed by the Champions Trophy - which begins in Cardiff next Thursday, with England's first game against Australia at Edgbaston on Saturday week, the report added. (ANI)
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