Matt Henry took four wickets for no runs in just 12 balls as New Zealand thrashed England by 253 runs in the second Test at the Oval on Sunday for a series-levelling win.
New Zealand only needed 48 minutes on the fifth day to complete a crushing victory as England, set a mammoth 463 to win, were bowled out for 209, with Henry’s six-wicket haul in total in the second innings giving him superb match figures of 11-109.
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Henry became the first bowler since Shane Warne in the 2005 Ashes to take a 10-wicket match haul at The Oval, and the first seamer since Devon Malcolm in 1994.
New Zealand dominated England in all aspects at the Oval, with both Glenn Phillips and Henry Nicholls, replacing retired great Kane Williamson, hitting hundreds as they bounced back from a 115-run defeat at Lord’s to level this three-match contest at 1-1.
England made five changes to their side – including three debutants – with captain Ben Stokes and paceman Gus Atkinson both omitted for breaking a team curfew while celebrating victory at Lord’s.
England coach Brendon McCullum confirmed post-match Stokes is set to return is set to return for next week’s series decider at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
Stokes and Atkinson were both withdrawn from their respective County Championship fixtures on Sunday.
Matt Henry of New Zealand celebrates after dismissing Josh Tongue during the fifth day of the 2nd Rothesay Test match between England and New Zealand at The Kia Oval on June 21, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Philip Brown/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
While they remain under investigation by English cricket authorities they were permitted to play in domestic fixtures, with Stokes turning out for Durham and Atkinson for Surrey in the first two days of Championship matches that started on Friday.
The 35-year-old Stokes enjoyed a lengthy bowling stint before making 95 against Northamptonshire on Saturday, the all-rounder’s highest score in any cricket since a century in the fourth Test against India in July of last year.
Fast-medium bowler Atkinson, 28, took four wickets in the first innings of Surrey’s game at Glamorgan.
Both players were then withdrawn before day three of those matches, in what is understood to be an attempt to make sure they are fit for the third Test at Trent Bridge starting Thursday.
Investigations into the pair’s conduct by the England and Wales Cricket Board and the independent Cricket Regulator have yet to be concluded.
No official confirmation of the outcomes of those investigations, or an England squad for the third Test, is expected until the finish of the second Test at the Oval.