Ben Stokes’ final England match ends in crushing 160-run defeat as New Zealand clinch series win
Ben Stokes’ final match as England captain ended in a 160-run defeat as New Zealand came from behind to win a series dominated by off-field drama 2-1.
Boosted by the fall of two wickets inside the first 20 minutes of the final day, including the world No 1 batsman Joe Root, the New Zealanders kept plugging away on a deteriorating Trent Bridge pitch.
And their fielders backed up a bowling attack without the injured Will O’Rourke superbly.
Emilio Gay was first to go when he hung out his bat perilously to a delivery from around the wicket by Nathan Smith and England lost a second wicket in five balls when Jamie Smith pushed to the off side in search of getting off the mark and left Root short of his ground as Henry Nicholls swooped and threw down the stumps from point in one motion.
In a stark contrast to the fourth evening when in response to Harry Brook’s dismissal – scooping straight to fine leg – New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra could be heard saying: ‘What are they doing?’ England played much more orthodoxly from a position of 116 for six.
Surrey wicketkeeper Smith found a willing ally in county colleague Gus Atkinson and the pair had got to within seven minutes of lunch when Mitch Santner won a leg before against the latter.
Smith got to his half century after lunch, with the first of three fours in a row off slow left-armer Santner, but simply ran out of partners in almost comical fashion.
Jofra Archer was caught behind attempting to withdraw his bat, and then Josh Tongue was punished for venturing out of his ground while contemplating a single to the offside when Santner’s bullet throw found its target.
The innings was wrapped up when Smith’s previously successful policy of going down the ground against Santner saw him pick out long-on.
New Zealand, who have kept their focus despite the drama of Stokes missing the second match and then retiring towards the back end of the third, have now added England’s scalp to that of India last year.
