London [UK], June 30: Ben Stokes' storied England career ended in a series defeat by New Zealand, who wrapped up the third and deciding Test on the final day in Nottingham, reports BBC.com.
The day after captain Stokes announced this Test would be his last, England's 160-run loss at Trent Bridge - and a 2-1 series reverse - highlighted the mess they now find themselves in.
In the aftermath of the Stokes news on Sunday, England slumped to a self-inflicted 103-4 by the close of day four, leaving an inevitability about their chances of chasing 373 on Monday.
And any sense of a prolonged fight was extinguished in the fourth over of the day, when Emilio Gay departed and, crucially, Joe Root was run out by an extraordinary direct hit from Henry Nicholls.
Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson at least staved off humiliation with a battling stand of 75, ended when Atkinson was out just before lunch.
Smith completed only his second half-century in 11 months, but Josh Tongue was the victim of another sublime New Zealand direct hit, this time by Mitchell Santner, before Smith was caught at long-off to leave England 212 all out.
It means New Zealand, heavily depleted by injuries, have earned a famous series win, only their fourth in this country.
The Black Caps were the last visiting team to win a series here, in 2021, and now they are the first tourists to win a series of three or more Tests in this country in 14 years.
For Stokes, a four-year captaincy reign ends with his first home defeat, and a 15-year international career ends with England in chaos.
This was their seventh defeat in nine Tests, and extends a run without a series win stretching back to 2024.
In a congested calendar, England begin a white-ball series against India on Wednesday, but a swift return to action will not stop questions over whether further change to the management is required.
Source: Qatar Tribune
