‘Dumbfounded’: Stokes exits in carnage as NZ inflict horror defeat and legend demands more scalps

An injury-hit New Zealand overwhelmed England by 160 runs in the third Test at Trent Bridge on Monday as Ben Stokes’ last match in international cricket ended with a thumping defeat — and calls for more change at the top of English cricket.

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Victory meant New Zealand won a three-match campaign 2-1 — just their fourth series success in England in 20 attempts and only the second time they had triumphed after being 1-0 down following their 1999 success in England.

This was also England’s seventh defeat in nine Tests and a first series loss at home in three or more Tests since 2012.

The Test was upstaged by England captain Stokes dramatically announcing his retirement from international duty on Sunday, in the wake of being stood down from the zecond Test over the nightclub curfew saga.

The 35-year-old all-rounder said he felt “burnt out” after four years as England skipper, although Stokes added he would continue to play for county side Durham.

His decision came after he had returned to England action after being omitted from a crushing 253-run defeat in the second Test, having broken a midnight curfew following the hosts’ win in the series opener.

“It would have been great to go out with a series win, that’s in a perfect world,” Stokes, who backed vice-captain Harry Brook as his successor, told the BBC. “But I’m very happy with what I’ve managed to achieve as a player and a captain.

“There’s quite a few emotions knowing you’re not going to be doing this anymore.”

Of Brook, who has also been encumbered by off-field indiscretions, Stokes said: “You are asked to be vice-captain for a reason, and I was vice-captain under Joe (Root) for a long time. It’s the natural progression, if the captain is not there you step up.

“There is absolutely no reason why Harry shouldn’t be asked to do that. If I was to be asked who I think should do it, I would be throwing my 100 percent support behind Harry Brook.”

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Stokes’ startling mid-match announcement rocked cricket, and was not well received by a number of fellow ex-England captains.

“Like many people I was dumbfounded yesterday when the whispers started coming out that Ben Stokes was about to announce his retirement,” Andrew Strauss said on LinkedIn.

“I’m not convinced that the whole thing was orchestrated the right way yesterday — it seems like a huge distraction to a team that was battling to avoid a series defeat and the cricket in the last session very much had an ‘end of term’ feel to it.

“Everyone has the right to bow out on their own terms, and no-one has earned that more than Ben, but announcing before or after the game seems like a more sensible approach. When you are in the middle of a match, the only thing that matters is the performance of the team.

“It is a small gripe in the greater scheme of things. English cricket will be far worse (and less interesting!) without Ben involved... There will be a huge vacuum in the England team that will be impossible to fill.”

Michael Vaughan put the crosshairs on coach Brendon McCullum and managing director of cricket Rob Key after Stokes’ exit. Both were backed by ECB bosses to lead a rebuild of the team following a 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia concluded in January.

But former England captain Vaughan, who led England to Ashes glory in 2005, told the BBC: “There must be change after what we’ve seen here in terms of a cricketing sense now over a period of time.

“I’ll be absolutely staggered if this leadership group is still together (after the New Zealand series).”

New Zealand’s win was just reward for their professional application, the Black Caps outplaying England in all departments in Nottingham.

Their approach was summed up by Daryl Mitchell, named player of the match, for a gutsy second-innings 100 not out where he was repeatedly struck painful blows by England’s pace attack.

“This is very special for our group,” said Mitchell. “We came over with the goal of winning the series. It’s really cool.” Stokes opened England’s run-chase even though he is normally a middle-order batsman, with the hosts set a stiff target of 373 to win.

He blazed his way to 30 off 20 balls, including two sixes, before he holed out, with his exit meaning he had no on-field role on Monday, his last day in international cricket.

England had dramatically chased down a target of 299 to beat New Zealand at Trent Bridge four years ago, right at the start of the team’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ era under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum with Jonny Bairstow scoring a blistering century.

But the current New Zealand attack held their nerve, with England losing three more wickets before Sunday’s close to be in dire straits at 103-4.

And they were in even worse trouble at 116-6 after losing two wickets in five balls early in Monday’s play.

Nathan Smith had Emilio Gay caught behind for 10 and then Joe Root, one of England’s greatest batsmen, was superbly run out for 18 by Henry Nicholls’s brilliant direct hit from backward point.

New Zealand lost a bowler just 35 minutes into Monday’s play when Will O’Rourke suffered a hamstring injury.

Gus Atkinson, also back after breaking curfew alongside Stokes, and Jamie Smith kept New Zealand at bay with a stand of 75 before Atkinson was lbw for 19 to left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.

Jamie Smith went to a fifty when he punched Santner for four after lunch. But another excellent direct hit run-out did for tailender Josh Tongue, with Santner on target this time, before Jamie Smith (60) was caught in the deep by Nathan Smith to seal a well-deserved success for the Black Caps.

“We put a lot of work in on our fielding, the two run-outs today showed guys are engaged and showing everything they’ve got,” said Mitchell.

This match was a triumph for several New Zealand players, with captain Tom Latham (151) and Devon Conway (157) sharing an opening stand of 317 in a first-innings total of 438.

New Zealand came into this match without injured paceman Matt Henry, their 11-wicket hero at the Oval, and in-form towering quick Kyle Jamieson, rested as a fitness precaution.

And in Nottingham, Blair Tickner could only manage three overs before pulling out with concussion suffered when hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer when batting.

But Zak Foulkes, New Zealand’s first concussion substitute, performed superbly to take six wickets in the match.

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