Clinical New Zealand crush England in 3rd Test to win series, spoil Ben Stokes' farewell
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Clinical New Zealand crush England in 3rd Test to win series, spoil Ben Stokes' farewell")
New Zealand crush England in 3rd Test to win series, spoil Ben Stokes' farewell Photograph: (Others)
New Zealand secured a brilliant 2-1 Test series triumph at Trent Bridge, crushing England by 160 runs to spoil captain Ben Stokes' final day in international cricket.Â
New Zealand has completed a brilliant 2-1 Test series win over the hosts, England, after beating them in the third and final Test by 160 runs at Trent Bridge. The Kiwis came from behind to crush England and spoil the final day of international cricket for their Test captain, Ben Stokes. Late on day four of the just-concluded Test, the ECB announced that Stokes will relinquish Test captaincy and retire from international cricket after the conclusion of this match.
The talismanic all-rounder, perhaps their most influential cricketer of the past decade, Stokes, opened for England in his final Test innings. He smashed a few fours and a six before getting out for 30, with England losing four wickets on the day's play.
The right-arm pacer returned with six wickets in his final Test, while scoring 45 across both innings.
Stokes retired with over 11,000 international runs in 278 matches and 352 wickets across formats. Recently, he also joined Jacques Kallis in a rare club of all-rounders to complete a rare double of 7000 Test runs and 250 Test wickets, a feat often unheard of in this game. Although his final appearance failed to bring the outcome he and the team wanted, Stokes will walk out as one of England’s most clinical yet successful all-rounders.
New Zealand make merry at Trent Bridge
After conceding the first Test at Lord’s by 115 runs, New Zealand crawled its way back into the series by beating a rather inexperienced England team by 253 runs in the next game to level the series. Even with Stokes and Gus Atkinson returning to the playing XI, the two players who made headlines for all the wrong reasons just after the win in the series opener, England failed to click as a unit and put the high-flying Kiwis under their wraps.
After openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway struck respective 150s in the first innings, helping New Zealand put on 438, Ben Duckett’s 113 and fifties from Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook orchestrated England’s reply of 354.
Daryl Mitchell’s love affair with England and in England continued as he slammed a brilliant unbeaten 100 to put the Kiwis in a commanding position.
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Stokes’ retirement announcement did take away the spotlight from Mitchell’s hundred, but not for long, as the Kiwis kept England in check before claiming a win on the fifth day.
Veteran Joe Root and Emilio Gay started proceedings on the final day, only to depart inside one over, leaving England reeling at 116 for six. Keeper-batter Jamie Smith tried his hand at saving his team’s sinking ship (60 off 91 balls) but became the final victim of New Zealand’s super bowling, as they surrendered the Test and series.
