England captain Ben Stokes’ international career ended in a crushing defeat as New Zealand defeated the hosts by 160 runs to win the three-match series 2-1.
In the third and final Test at Trent Bridge, it was only New Zealand’s fourth win in 20 series in England, while also the first time since 1999 that the Kiwis had won the series despite a 0–1 defeat. On the other hand, England have lost a streak of three or more Tests on home soil since 2012.
A day before the match, Ben Stokes suddenly announced his retirement from international cricket. The 35-year-old native had said he was mentally and physically exhausted from the constant bout, but would continue to represent Durham in county cricket.
England set a target of 373 runs to win, but the entire team was bowled out for 212 runs. Ben Stokes made an extraordinary opening with 30 runs off just 20 balls, but could not save his team from defeat.
New Zealand players performed impressively. Nathan Smith took the important wickets while Mitchell Santner also scored at crucial times. Jamie Smith played a 60-run stand for England, but he too could not save the team from defeat.
Earlier in New Zealand’s first innings, captain Tom Latham scored 151 runs and Dion Conway played 157 runs to form a partnership of 317 runs for the first wicket, thanks to this team’s total of 438 runs.
Zach Foulkes, who came on as a concussion replacement for New Zealand, played a big role in the team’s success and took a total of 6 wickets in the two matches.
Ben Stokes’ 16-year international career ended in failure as New Zealand cruised to a historic series win over England.
