New Zealand Crush England, End BazBall Era in Stokes' Final Test
The Black Caps sealed a historic 2-1 series victory at Trent Bridge, ending England's revolutionary BazBall era on a losing note for retiring captain Ben Stokes.
New Zealand completed a dominant 2-1 series victory over England at Trent Bridge, handing Ben Stokes a losing farewell in his final Test match. The win also marked the end of England's aggressive BazBall approach, which had begun four years ago with a 3-0 sweep over the same opposition.
After being put in to bat, New Zealand posted a formidable 438 in the first innings, thanks to a record 317-run opening stand between Tom Latham and Devon Conway, who both scored centuries. England's response was led by Ben Duckett's explosive 113 off 99 balls, but they still fell 84 runs short, bowled out for 354, with Nathan Smith, Will O'Rourke, and Zak Foulkes sharing the wickets.
In the second innings, Jofra Archer struck early to reduce New Zealand to 51-3, but Rachin Ravindra (94) and Daryl Mitchell (100*) rebuilt with a 129-run partnership. Mitchell remained unbeaten as the visitors declared at 288-9, setting England a target of 373. The hosts were unable to chase it down, sealing New Zealand's historic series win and capping a memorable Test for the Black Caps.