And here\u2019s the man himself. Ben Stokes speaks to Athers:<\/p>\n
double quotation markI didn\u2019t take the decision [to retire] lightly or rushed into it \u2026 I tried throughout this whole week to see if I could get myself through and see myself going beyond this week. But it wasn\u2019t meant to be.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s some things that I will miss and some things that I\u2019m quite happily able to say I don\u2019t have to worry about that any more.<\/p>\n
I look at the way the last two and a half weeks have unfolded and it\u2019s been interesting.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ll look back on fond memories with everything, even if there\u2019s a bit of controversy off the field here and there.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Nathan Smith is New Zealand\u2019s player of the series. He\u2019s been so impressive with his nagging seamers, ending up with 16 wickets.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Jofra Archer is named England\u2019s player of the series for his 11 wickets, despite missing the first Test.<\/p>\n On Stokes he says: \u201cIt\u2019s going to be a big miss. I think the hardest part is going to imagine the changing room without him. Him being gone, I really don\u2019t want to look forward to it.\u201d Archer sounds gutted.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Time for the presentations. Daryl Mitchell, as expected, is player of the match for one of the gutsiest hundreds you\u2019ll see. \u201cThere\u2019s a couple of bruises here and there, but it all makes it worth it, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n He was immense when New Zealand toured England four years ago; good to see him rewarded this time with a series victory.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Hi, folks. Rachin Ravindra\u2019s been speaking to Sky about a fantastic series win by New Zealand. <\/p>\n \u201cTo do it in a three-match Test series is amazing. The boys stepped up, Foulkesy, coming in as a concussion sub for Ticks, the way he bowled was exactly what was required on that surface. Couldn\u2019t be prouder of the group.\u201d<\/p>\n He hails Tom Blundell\u2019s keeping and Daryl Mitchell for his match-winning knock: \u201cHe\u2019s a fighter. We all love Daryl as a teammate because he keeps coming day after day, blow after blow.\u201d<\/p>\n New Zealand have now landed two major series wins away from home in the last two years: England here and India in late 2024.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Righto, I\u2019m handing over to Taha Hashim who will keep you up-to-date with all the reaction.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n More Stokes on whether he will play in The Ashes, talking to the BBC: \u201cOver the next year I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019ll be in the physical shape! People can say what they want to say, but I\u2019m incredibly content with the decision I\u2019ve made now\u2026I\u2019m done mate.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here\u2019s some Stokes on his retirement: \u201cI accept that people might be asking questions. But at the end of the day this is a decision I\u2019ve made. And I hope people can understand and respect that the reasons I\u2019ve made this decision is it\u2019s best for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Photograph: Jacob King\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.26 EDT<\/p>\n Ben Stokes is starting his media rounds. Will relay the reaction as and when we have it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n England\u2019s first home series defeat since 2012 is confirmed (of series of three or more matches) and the curtain is called on Ben Stokes’ career.<\/p>\n What an utterly surreal four weeks of cricket. We\u2019ve had two of the greatest ever retire. We\u2019ve had a nightclub incident. We\u2019ve had off-the-pitch speculation for the ages. And now we\u2019ve had New Zealand make history on the pitch.<\/p>\n Let us know your thoughts here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>New Zealand win by 160 runs<\/p>\n A fitting way to end. Jamie Smith goes for another big shot down the ground, and Nathan Smith, arguably the player of the series, takes an excellent low catch down to his left sprinting along.<\/p>\n New Zealand have been very, very, good. And England, well as Michael Atherton says on the Sky airwaves:\u201cBazball dies where it began.\u201d<\/p>\n Farewell Bazball, we hardly knew ye. Photograph: John Mallett\/ProSports\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.25 EDT<\/p>\n 51st over: 212-9 (Smith 60, Bashir 0)<\/p>\n Maiden over. Bashir faces the last five balls and now Smith will be left to take on Santner on his own.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Tongue run out Santner 2 (England 212-9)<\/p>\n New Zealand have just been awesome. This time Tongue ticks one around the corner and goes to set off but is sent back by Smith. At square leg, Santner runs around the ball, picks up with his left-hand, takes aim, and nails one stump. Tongue dives but to no avail. New Zealand one wicket away.<\/p>\n Josh Tongue is brilliantly run out by Mitchell Santner. Photograph: Andrew Boyers\/Action Images\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.15 EDT<\/p>\n 50th over: England 212-8 (Smith 60, Tongue 2)<\/p>\n Well, play some shots he did. Three consecutive boundaries from Smith to bring a close to Santner\u2019s over. Smith moves on to 60.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Fifty for Jamie Smith!<\/p>\n It\u2019s been tough going, but Smith has reminded us of his qualities. \u201cPositive but not reckless,\u201d says Nasser Hussain, after Smith cuts away for four to bring up an 87-ball half century.<\/p>\n Jamie Smith acknowledges the crowd after reaching his fifty. Photograph: Jacob King\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.09 EDT<\/p>\n Would you look at that, first-ball and Smith pumps a cover drive that is well stopped. Deep breaths everyone\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 49th over: England 200-8 (Smith 48, Tongue 2)<\/p>\n Tongue manages to play out a maiden with several beauties wrapped in there from Smith. One ball is edged just short of a diving Daryl Mitchell at first slip who takes a lovely catch but on the bounce.<\/p>\n Now Smith will be on strike against Santner. I just have a feeling that something\u2019s going to give here and we may see some shots.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 48th over: England 200-8 (Smith 48, Tongue 2)<\/p>\n 200 up for England! The moral victories continue to flow. Tongue is hogging the strike here which probably isn\u2019t the game plan but jeez it looks hard to play Santner at the moment. Every other ball spinning sharp from the surface.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 47th over: England 199-8 (Smith 48, Tongue 1)<\/p>\n Tongue faces the last ball of the over and pinches a single. It\u2019s now his turn to face Santner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Let us know your general thoughts on this England team by getting in contact here<\/a>. We already did the changes after the Ashes, so unsure what or how difference the XI will be when they line up against Pakistan in six weeks time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Archer c Blundell b Smith 2 (England 198-8)<\/p>\n What a weird way to go. Smith drops a shorter ball in, it doesn\u2019t really get up and as Archer attempts to leave the ball it kisses the face of his bat and Blundell has a simple catch. Tick-tock. The New Zealand win is approaching ever closer.<\/p>\n Nathan Smith celebrates taking the wicket of Jofra Archer. England should be put out of their misery soon. Photograph: Matt West\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.00 EDT<\/p>\n 46th over: England 198-7 (Smith 48, Archer 2)<\/p>\n Five runs off Santner\u2019s over as one slips down the legside for four byes. Off the last ball of the over Archer pinches a single. He\u2019s got five men around the bat still when he\u2019s facing Santner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45th over: England 193-7 (Smith 48, Archer 1)<\/p>\n Smith runs in and completes another hustling, bustling over. Two runs off. He\u2019s the last man standing of the New Zealand attack who started the Lord\u2019s Test. Will O\u2019Rourke has also played in all three, but has done a hamstring today.<\/p>\n Mitchell Santner is going to continue from the other end.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Three wickets to go for New Zealand. 182 runs to win for England. Let\u2019s get into it.<\/p>\n The players are making their way back out to the middle. I imagine it\u2019ll be another Nathan Smith burst to get things going and would you look at that, it is.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Right, time for a break. But to keep you company for the lunch interval, have a read of Vic Marks who wrote this tribute to the outgoing Stokes (as in departing, not that he likes going out, although\u2026).<\/p>\n double quotation markJeopardy and Stokes have often been frequent bedfellows, on the field and off it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Lunch – England 191-7, trail by 181 runs.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s your lot from the morning session. Three wickets for New Zealand as they keep on churning towards victory.<\/p>\n Smith and Atkinson showed a bit of ticker to add over 60 together, but it was without doubt New Zealand\u2019s morning after Emilio Gay edged behind and Joe Root was brilliantly run out by Henry Nicholls.<\/p>\n Archer fights his way through the last over with five men crowding the bat. It wasn\u2019t pretty, but it\u2019s time for a break.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 43rd over: England 191-7 (Smith 47, Archer 0)<\/p>\n We will have time for another as Sears quickly gets through another maiden. One ball in that over lifting nastily but well wide of Smith\u2019s flailing bat.<\/p>\n Rich has been back in touch with another captaincy suggestion. One that may be the most fun of all the options: \u201cJonny Bairstow, playing as captain and batting at 6.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42nd over: England 191-7 (Smith 47, Archer 0)<\/p>\n Archer has one ball left to survive from Santner before the over is complete. England have one, maybe two overs until lunch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Atkinson lbw Santner 19 (England 191-7)<\/p>\n He\u2019ll review. But this is out.<\/p>\n Santner chucks in the arm ball, Atkinson goes back and is struck on the back leg bang in front. The partnership is over, and after facing over 150 balls in this Test with the bat, Atkinson\u2019s race is run.<\/p>\n Gus Atkinson is very much out. Photograph: Manjit Narotra\/ProSports\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.17 EDT<\/p>\n 41st over: England 189-6 (Smith 46, Atkinson 18)<\/p>\n A not-so-pretty stat has just emerged from this Test match. Gus Atkinson has now faced more balls than any other England batter in this Test match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40th over: England 188-6 (Smith 46, Atkinson 17)<\/p>\n England are halfway there. A roar goes up from the crowd as the home team enter the home stretch. Just score exactly the same amount of runs again, but don\u2019t lose any wickets. Simple game.<\/p>\n Six runs from that Santner over, including a lofted four back over his head from Smith.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 39th over: England 182-6 (Smith 41, Atkinson 16)<\/p>\n Atkinson finishes the over with a lovely clipped boundary out to the legside. These two have put on 66, but a brief period where England can take some solace from. Maybe? Can they? I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38th over: England 177-6 (Smith 40, Atkinson 12)<\/p>\n A ripple of applause goes around Trent Bridge as the runs required to win dips below 200. A couple of almost quarter-chances in the over as the ball squirms past leg slip slightly airily.<\/p>\n Ben Sears, for what it\u2019s worth, is currently bowling with a broken index finger on his bowling hand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37th over: England 173-6 (Smith 37, Atkinson 11)<\/p>\n A maiden over for Sears. I\u2019m feeling funny watching all this now. The tension had left me and now I\u2019ll be sad again when the inevitable wicket falls.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36th over: England 173-6 (Smith 37, Atkinson 11)<\/p>\n Santner is mixing up a series of unplayable deliveries with an occasional loss of length. Two runs from the over.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s bring back the sweepstake game. When is this finishing? Only 29 minutes until lunch now\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35th over: England 171-6 (Smith 35, Atkinson 10)<\/p>\n Three runs off Sears\u2019 first over. This partnership is worth 55 now. Been steady stuff from England\u2019s pair.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34th over: England 168-6 (Smith 35, Atkinson 8)<\/p>\n Sixer! Five troublesome deliveries from Santner and then he overpitches and Smith drop-kicks him back over his head for six.<\/p>\n And we\u2019re going to have a new face into the bowling attack today. Ben Sears is going to have a bowl.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33rd over: England 162-6 (Smith 29, Atkinson 8)<\/p>\n A boundary for Atkinson from his 41st ball faced. Tickles Foulkes around the corner and to the fence.<\/p>\n Uneventful otherwise as the lurch to lunch continues. A replay of that previous Santner over has been played. The ball was spinning miles *and* on occasion skipping on. Tough stuff.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32nd over: England 158-6 (Smith 29, Atkinson 4)<\/p>\n An excellent over from Santner. This pitch is turning and skidding now. One could bring all four here. But England survive another over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31st over: England 157-6 (Smith 29, Atkinson 3)<\/p>\n Just a leg-bye off that Zak Foulkes over. We keep on keeping on for now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30th over: England 156-6 (Smith 29, Atkinson 3)<\/p>\n Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice. England have batted for 30 overs. Meaning they have passed the 29.5 overs at Melbourne which was the shortest ever England innings in the Stokes era.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 29th over: England 155-6 (Smith 29, Atkinson 2)<\/p>\n This has been a really unusual period of calm in this Test match. Maybe even these last six months. A couple of pairs for Smith adds four more runs to the total.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I must admit I didn\u2019t know the below story from Kimberley, but I\u2019ve enjoyed it a lot as the players take a drink.<\/p>\n Nearby vandals, activists and protestors. Your country needs you now.<\/p>\n \u201cHeadingley is in my thoughts. Not the 1981 resurrection of English cricket by Ian Botham and Willis, but the cricket pitch being most infamously dug up by vandals and protesters in August 1975 during the third Ashes Test. Activists protesting the imprisonment of George Davis broke in overnight, dug large holes in the wicket, and poured oil over it, forcing the match to be abandoned as a draw. If any of those activists are still alive, your country needs you once more, RIGHT NOW.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Taha](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/aha_Hashim,_L.png\")
Taha Hashim<\/p>\n