Ben Stokes unexpectedly announced his retirement in the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, bringing an end to his illustrious Test career. Despite England’s defeat, Stokes’ contribution to the game was praised by teammates and opponents alike, with New Zealand captain Tom Latham and long-time England team-mate Joe Root both paying heartfelt tributes to him.Tom Latham on Ben Stokes: “On behalf of New Zealand Cricket I’d like to congratulate you on a great career. You are truly a once in a generation player. We’ve had some great battles together over the years and it was an honor to play against you. Congratulations on a great career mate. Enjoy your retirement.”Joe Root said of playing alongside Stokes: “I’ve been playing cricket with and against Ben since I was 12 years old. When I first sledged with him, he taught me my first dirty word. We’ve been getting along great ever since. It would be strange to walk into the locker room and not see him. He has been an incredible teammate and friend throughout this entire journey. “
New Zealand seal series in England
New Zealand defeated England by 160 runs in the third Test at Trent Bridge to seal the three-match series 2-1, marking the first time in 14 years that England have lost three or more games in a home Test series. The match was overshadowed by Ben Stokes’ shock retirement announcement, with the England captain calling time on his international career after the game.After electing to bat first, New Zealand posted a score of 438 in their first innings, thanks to stellar performances from Devon Conway (157) and Tom Latham (151). England responded with 354 runs, with Ben Duckett hitting 113 to give the visitors an 84-run lead in the first innings.In the second innings, Daryl Mitchell hit a gritty unbeaten 100 in a couple of knocks to lead New Zealand to a declaration of 288/9. England set a daunting target of 373 runs but their chase never really got off the ground. Stokes opened up the batsmen in the farewell innings, scoring 30 runs off 20 balls, but England ended up losing by 212 runs, trailing by 160 runs.New Zealand’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Mitchell Santner taking crucial wickets on the final day, while Nathan Smith and concussion substitute Zach Fox made notable contributions throughout the game. A 75-run stand-off between Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson briefly delayed the inevitable, but ultimately the visitors emerged victorious.
