England vs New Zealand 3rd Test Full Commentary

Welcome back for England's reply with the bat. They have done well with the ball today, and it is time to replicate the same with the bat. Emilio Gay and Ben Duckett are the two openers for the hosts, making their way to the crease. Nathan Smith will bowl the first over. A barrage of slips in place. Here we go again...

... SECOND INNINGS ...

Stokes led the way - With the bowling attack physically exhausted, England needed something inspirational to drag themselves back from the dirt. Stokes put his hand up, as he has done so many times for this side. But given everything that has unfolded in the background in the last couple of weeks, this one may have felt a little more personal. Stokes removed Latham, and Joe Root got Conway just seven balls later. Reinvigorated by the new ball under the lengthening Day 1 shadows, England's pacers dialled up the hostility with extra bounce, triggering a massive middle-order collapse as New Zealand's batsmen buckled under the persistent pressure. As the innings entered its final chapter on Day 2, New Zealand countered England’s hunt for a swift wrap-up by deploying nightwatchman Will O’Rourke to blunt the new ball. Abandoning all scoring intent, O’Rourke played an invaluable anchoring role (19), stalling England's morning momentum while Tom Blundell ground out tough runs. However, just as the partnership was building, and a couple of chances were put down en route, it was Stokes again, ably supported by Archer, to keep hammering the nail on the visitors and eventually bowled them out on 438. New Zealand now have a task at hand in favourable batting conditions to prevent England from building big partnerships and keep chipping away at the wickets. Back in a bit with the second inning.

The historic opening stand - Winning the toss on a placid Trent Bridge surface, New Zealand’s strategy was to bleed England's pace attack dry. Openers Tom Latham (151) and Devon Conway (157) executed this perfectly, adopting a low-risk approach. Their absolute refusal to offer a chance under a gruelling sun yielded a monumental 317-run opening partnership, the highest ever for New Zealand against England. By relentlessly draining the English quicks for over 72 overs, they dictated the tempo and laid what seemed to be an unassailable foundation for a massive first-innings total.

A fierce fightback - The beauty of Test cricket. England had to toil under the Nottingham sun for almost two and a half sessions to find their first breakthrough. The score was 317 when the hosts were absolutely on the mat, needing something inspirational to make a comeback. In the next 121 runs, they have ruthlessly torn through the New Zealand batting order. All talk of 500 or 550 has been blown away. Shades of Nottingham 2022 between these two sides.

Review time. Looks absolutely stone-dead but Sears has opted to take the review, challenging the on-field decision. Nothing on UltraEdge and three reds on Ball Tracking rule Sears out. He anyways started his long walk back to the dugout, knowing his fate.

That was a hostile delivery from Archer. Tickner had no answers to that one. The ball smashes into the helmet and a mandatory concussion test is underway for Blair. The positive thing is that he is back on his feet and smiling while talking to the physio. Meanwhile, the other players help themselves with some energy drinks. Eventually, we are good to go again...

Well, it took long enough for the technology to come up. But the visitors are now rather folding quickly. 392/4 becomes 435/9 for the Kiwis and all of a sudden, even 450 looks a bridge too far. England have a great opportunity to wrap this up quickly now. Ben Sears is the last batter in for the Kiwis.

Wowza! That was some catch from Bashir who breaks the budding partnership. Blair Tickner is in at number 10.

Welcome back. There is a bit of cloud cover over Trent Bridge as the two umpires and players make their way out to the middle. We have about 46 overs left in the day. It will be the left-handed duo of Devon Conway and Tom Latham to open for New Zealand. Jofra Archer will steam in first up. Latham is on strike. Two slips and a gully in place. Let's go...

... THIRD INNINGS ...

Looking ahead - It is all set up for an intriguing final session of the day and, indeed, the final two days of this Test. Even with the second new ball, there wasn't a great deal of lateral movement on offer, but the odd ball did rear up sharply enough to cause discomfort. England will be on the lookout for early inroads, while New Zealand have a real opportunity to press home their advantage. With the sun continuing to beat down and the surface already showing signs of variable bounce, it is unlikely to get any easier for the home side to bat in the fourth innings. We will be back in a bit for the third and final session of the day.

New Zealand stay in front - England's early charge with the bat was led by Ben Duckett, who ended his wait for a score of note with a century, having ridden on luck. The hosts started the day 215 runs behind and lost three wickets inside the first half hour, with Ben Stokes also unable to stick around for long. At 290/6, the innings could have unravelled quickly, but Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson kept the Kiwis at bay for the remainder of the first session. The visitors, however, landed a big blow soon after the interval as Zakary Foulkes removed Brook. From there, they worked their way through the lower order despite some stubborn resistance from Atkinson to secure a valuable first-innings lead.

That will be TEA on Day 3 - New Zealand have eked out a pretty handy lead of 84 runs on a surface that has started to misbehave. Nothing too alarming just yet, but there are enough signs to suggest batting could get progressively tougher. After being rocked early in the day, England did well to eat into the deficit, but New Zealand struck at key moments to keep themselves ahead.

Shoaib Bashir is the last man in.

Zakary Foulkes is called back into the attack, replacing Nathan Smith.

Movement behind the bowler's arm, and that is being sorted out. Order has now been restored, and we are ready to resume.

The players are back onto the field. As expected, Ben Stokes has come out to open the innings, along with Ben Duckett. It will be Nathan Smith to Duckett first up. Roughly 119 overs and around 3-and-a-half sessions to do it. Here we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Jonny Bravo time? Birmingham, 2022. Set a target of 378 by India, England blasted their way to the total, losing just 3 wickets, with Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow smashing them with twin centuries. Can they do the same here, albeit without Bairstow, against a similar target, with more or less the same time left?

Rotten luck - That's what England will feel. They bowled their heart out, but the edges simply did not go to hand. Jofra Archer picked up 4 wickets but the last 2 came way too late. Ben Stokes was the standout in terms of a trier - bowling 8 overs straight in the morning and then bowling 11 straight in the afternoon. As nature would have it, the moment his retirement was announced to the crowd, a wicket fell next ball, sending them into a frenzy. He has done it his all once again and only time will be able to tell whether he can pull off one more amazing act before he retires.

Gritty batting - That's what it was from New Zealand. They lost their openers early, but the trio of Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell raised meaningful partnerships. Ravindra and Mitchell's 129-run stand probably set up this match, with Ravindra falling minutes before Lunch, agonizingly on 94. Mitchell managed to get to his ton, but not before suffering a lot of blows on his body - chest, thigh, finger, forearm and even the helmet. He stood tall as wickets fell around him, ensuring that the Black Caps were never in danger.

Midas to open? We might be wrong, but it does seem like Ben Stokes is going to finish his international career by opening the batting. He and Ben Duckett were the only England players who raced to their dressing room. The crowd also sense it, and we roughly have around 80 minutes for the close of play.

That's enough! The signal comes from Tom Latham from the New Zealand balcony, as he calls his players back to the dressing room. It was very evident that the Black Caps were only waiting for Mitchell to complete his century and have pulled the plug, now that the milestone is achieved. So New Zealand finish on 288/9, meaning that ENGLAND NEED 373 RUNS FOR VICTORY!

Ben Sears walks back out to the middle, to try and help Mitchell get to the three-figure mark.

Now then. Will O'Rourke has been adjudged LBW but he has taken the review. If no bat, this looks gone. The camera also pans on Ben Sears, who seems to be getting ready to walk out again, to help Mitchell get to his century. And OUT it is.

Time to close the door - Latham walks up to collect the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy to a warm reception, then makes his way back to his teammates who are waiting eagerly to get the skipper in frame. These are the photographs that will grace the front pages tomorrow morning. This brings this highly entertaining series, which had plenty of drama, on and off the field, to a close. New Zealand claim it 2-1. Moving forward, the Kiwis will take their trip to the Caribbean shores as they prepare for a five-ODI series against West Indies, starting from Sunday, 12th July, 2026. As for England, they have very little time left for their next assignment as they host India for a five-match T20I series followed by a cracking three-ODI series which starts from Wednesday, 1st July, 2026 with the first T20I. Until then, you can follow and enjoy all the updates from the Women's T20 World Cup, 2026 and the One-off Test between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. But for now, we sign off, only to meet again. Cheers!

Well done, New Zealand - They beat India 3-0 in India, and now, they have triumphed over England 2-1 in the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy 2026 through some inspirational performances. They showed the hunger, they showed the resilience under pressure and more importantly, underlined the importance of discipline in bold and capital. And just as this England side cannot be spoken about without mentioning Stokes, for New Zealand, every conversation begins and ends with their own legend, Kane Williamson. He announced his retirement after the first Test at Lord's in this very series, but gave New Zealand countless memories to be proud of. He was also given a deserved token of thanks at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Thank you, Benjamin Andrew Stokes - The English dressing room went absolutely dumbstruck when Stokes gave his final speech about hanging up his boots. A true fighter, to the very last word. Where does one even begin with Ben Stokes? A lad from Christchurch who became the heartbeat of English cricket, who dragged a battered and bruised Test side off the canvas more times than anyone had the right to expect. He was an event. Every time he walked to the crease or marked his run-up, something in the ground shifted. The journey was never clean or straightforward, with whatever happened on and off the field. But Stokes never stayed down. That was always the thing about him. He got up, dusted himself off, and came back harder. His 258 in Cape Town remains the highest Test score ever made by a number six batter, the second fastest double hundred in Test history. Headingley 2019 will be told and retold for as long as cricket is played in this country. Chasing 359, with England nine down, Stokes produced an unbeaten 135 to win the match by a single wicket. It was not just an innings. It was a statement about character, about will, about the sort of stubbornness that cannot be coached or manufactured. That same year, he was named Player of the Match in the 2019 World Cup final as England lifted the trophy for the first time. And then came the next chapter. When Stokes took the captaincy in 2022, English Test cricket was on its knees. He and Brendon McCullum ripped up the rulebook, built something audacious and alive, and called it Bazball. He finishes among only three men in history, alongside Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis, to have scored 7,000 Test runs and taken 200 wickets. He also holds the record for the most sixes hit in a Test career, surpassing even his own coach, McCullum.

The victorious captain of New Zealand - TOM LATHAM walks up to Michael Atherton with a broad smile. He calls it a really special moment, one the squad has been building towards since the first ball of the series. He says that it has been a collective effort throughout, with the group sticking to a style of cricket that suits them. Old school, disciplined, and something he is genuinely proud of. On the comeback from 1-0 down, Latham feels New Zealand did plenty of good things at Lord's even in defeat, pointing to a tricky surface and a few moments that could have gone either way. From there, they came to The Oval, played their brand of cricket, and individuals stood up when the team needed them. Looking back, he says, they won the key moments, and that made the difference. On the defining moments of this Test, Latham points to the opening partnership on Day 1 as a strong foundation, even if he felt they could have pushed on further from that position. Adds that the burst of four to five quick wickets on Day 3 was equally crucial, shifting the momentum firmly in New Zealand's favour. He singles out the third innings partnership between Mitchell and Ravindra as the moment that settled it. Says they were under enormous pressure when that pair came together and the way they batted was simply outstanding. Mitchell, in particular, gets special mention. Latham calls him the man New Zealand want in the middle when situations get difficult, and he thrived on the battle. On the chaotic final session on the fourth day, with the crowd reacting to news of Stokes' retirement and England sending him out to open the innings, Latham mentions it is exactly the kind of situation this group prides itself on handling. Latham then turns to Stokes directly with a message on behalf of the entire New Zealand side. He congratulates him on an extraordinary career, calling him a once-in-a-generation player. Latham acknowledges that the battles between the two sides over the years have been fierce, but on behalf of everyone in the New Zealand camp, he wants Stokes to know he has had a fantastic career and to enjoy every moment of his retirement.

The captain of England - BEN STOKES gets a huge round of applause from his teammates and the crowd as he walks to have a chat for one last time. Ben Stokes keeps it measured in his farewell remarks, acknowledging it has been a good couple of days in many ways, even if the result was not the one he wanted. He calls it an incredibly hard-fought game by both sides and notes that the tough conditions played their part in the way the pitch behaved across the five days. For him, that is one of the things that makes Test cricket what it is. He is generous in his praise for New Zealand, and for Ravindra and Mitchell in particular, crediting the way they operate and the character they showed. On the chase, Stokes is honest, saying it was always going to be a difficult target to get on that surface. The only thing he would change, he adds with typical candour, is being on the winning side of it. But, he says, you cannot have everything your way. On his decision to retire, Stokes is reflective but firm. He says he did not take it lightly and spoke to people he trusted before arriving at his conclusion. He details that he tried to picture himself going beyond this week and could not. Admits that there is sadness, but also a deep sense of contentment in everything he has been able to contribute, and in the happiness he has brought to fans around the world. When asked about why he announced his retirement mid-match, Stokes reveals he told his closest teammates the night before and the rest of the squad on the morning of the final day. Looking back at the last two and a half weeks, he calls them interesting, the best word he can find for a period that had its share of controversy. Hit and miss, he says, much like his career at times, but something he has thoroughly enjoyed every step of the way. On being asked about his best memories as an England cricketer, he details how it is not the personal milestones he reaches first, but the moments shared with others, having played alongside some of the finest cricketers England has ever produced. He adds that while he knows he has done some decent things on the field himself, it is those shared experiences that he will carry with him the longest. He mentions how fortunate he feels to have watched Root operate up close for so long, a player still going at the highest level. He adds the names of Broad, Anderson, and Cook, giants of the game who defined an era, saying he counts himself lucky not just for what he contributed, but for everything he got to witness standing alongside them. In the end, he concludes by saying that it has been some ride, and one he will always look back on with the fondest of memories.

PLAYER OF THE SERIES FOR NEW ZEALAND - NATHAN SMITH receives the award for being the leading wicket-taker of the series. He picked up 16 wickets in three Tests. He says he is really pleased with how his series has gone, and takes pride in his ability to adapt to whatever the team needs, whether that is with the new ball or the old. He acknowledges the injury setbacks New Zealand suffered but feels it only highlighted the depth within the squad, with players coming off the bench and doing a fine job when called upon. On bowling in England, Smith says it presents a different challenge altogether. Notes that bringing the stumps into play becomes far more important here, and the key word throughout has been ruthlessness with line and length. He singles out Tom Blundell's decision to stand up to the stumps at The Oval as a moment that changed the series, calling it a huge tactical shift. On whether that was planned well in advance, Smith is candid, saying it was more of a conversation that developed during travel, a feeling that it could work, backed up by the skill to execute it.

PLAYER OF THE SERIES FOR ENGLAND - JOFRA ARCHER wins the medal for displaying outstanding skills with the ball. He finished as England's highest-wicket taker throughout the series, picking up 11 wickets to his name. He says it has been a really good series and one he has put a lot of work into. The rewards are not just his, he adds, every member of the side put a shift in and this belongs to all of them. On the transition from IPL cricket back to Tests, Archer points to mindset above everything else. Aches and pains are part of the game, but knowing that the batter at the other end is trying just as hard keeps him going. There is also a responsibility to his fellow fast bowlers. If he goes down, the workload shifts onto the other three, and that thought alone is enough to keep him pushing through discomfort. He also speaks about the mental demands of fielding for long stretches after bowling spells, saying staying locked in and not drifting is as hard as anything the game throws at you physically. On whether the workload ever gave him doubts, his answer is simple. Not for him. On Ben Stokes, Archer is warm and candid and gets a bit emotional as well. He gathers himself and says he values him not just as a captain but as a friend, someone he can always turn to for advice and reassurance. The thought of a dressing room without Stokes is something Archer admits he does not want to think about. Every game, Stokes has been there, Root has been there, and adjusting to that absence, he says, is going to take some time.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - DARYL MITCHELL wins the award for his marvellously constructed 100* (241) in the third innings. He calls it a special Test match for the group. They came over with the goal of winning the series, he says, and they did it in style. On his century, Mitchell admits he had some unfinished business from the previous series and is simply proud of every member of the group who stepped up over the last few days. He adds that it is nice to get the job done. About the turnaround from going 1-0 down, Mitchell says the key was how calm the group remained. Says they went back to basics at The Oval in the second Test and started fresh again at Trent Bridge. Details that different surfaces demanded different skills and different mindsets, and he feels the group adapted well to each challenge. When asked about his bruised fingers and ribs after taking several blows on the body while batting, Mitchell mentions that there a couple of bruises here and there, but adds with a smile that it was worth it. On the batting partnerships, Mitchell shares that the dressing room conversation was always about building them, and Rachin Ravindra, in particular, did a fabulous job. Adds that everyone who came in chipped away and contributed, and those partnerships proved crucial in the end. On the fielding, Mitchell acknowledges it is an area the team has focused on heavily. Notes that it does not always come off, but the two run-outs on the final day were outstanding and showed how engaged and committed every player in the group has been.

... It is time for the post-match Presentation ...

Beaten by their own strength - Set 373 to win, England made a blazing start, with Ben Stokes opening the batting in what turned out to be the final on-field act of his 15-year international career. A 50-run stand off just 7.2 overs gave them a platform, but New Zealand quickly seized back control. Stokes fell for 30, Bethell went for a duck, and Brook threw his wicket away with a reckless flick to fine leg, leaving England tottering at 50/3. The surface, breaking up since day three, made any meaningful resistance increasingly difficult, and Ben Sears found devastating lift to snare Duckett late on day four, leaving England four down and well short. Smith and Atkinson then did something curious. They knuckled down, played basic cricket, and made New Zealand work hard for every wicket. Which did make you wonder, watching this pair build quietly together, why England had gone hammer and tongs the day before. The tail offered little once Atkinson fell, and New Zealand crossed the line to seal the series.

Depleted, but not talentless - With Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson, the heroes of the second Test, both ruled out due to injuries, along with Tickner who was subbed out due to a concussion mid-Test, New Zealand lost some of their most experienced pacers and with them, a significant amount of know-how in English conditions. The cutting edge looked blunted on paper. But Nathan Smith, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series, and Will O'Rourke, not far behind on 10, sincerely filled that void with moments of genuine brilliance. Between them and Foulkes, it was a collective bowling effort that kept New Zealand firmly in command throughout this Test. The depth of New Zealand's seam bowling has been nothing short of remarkable throughout this series. Remember, these are the same group who knocked India over three-nil in their own backyard less than two years ago. And now they have gone and given England their first series defeat on home soil in a series of three or more matches since 2012. Not bad at all from the Black Caps.

Oh, Mitchell, the saviour - There was something almost poetic about it. On the day Ben Stokes announced his farewell to Test cricket, Daryl Mitchell quietly went about playing one of the innings of this series. 100 not out off 241 balls, Nottingham surface that spared nobody. He took his share of blows on a wicket that had become a landmine for batting by Day 4, absorbed every difficult spell, and when New Zealand declared on 288, walked off unbeaten. A hundred that arrived without fanfare, on a day that already had more than enough of it. But Mitchell did not do it alone. When New Zealand were reduced to 51/3 on a dying pitch, Rachin Ravindra walked in and held firm. Their 129-run stand was the spine of the innings, the partnership that pushed the lead beyond England's reach. Tellingly, no other Kiwi batter crossed 20 in the second innings. That says everything about how much those two knocks mattered.

Blow for blow, punch for punch - New Zealand's overnight advantage did not last the morning session. The middle order nicked and nudged without conviction, the tail offered nowt, and the innings subsided for 438, just 121 added after the openers fell. Stokes had them in all sorts, bagging four wickets and finally ending 72.1 overs of English suffering with the first breakthrough. England smelled blood and went after it. Duckett was absolutely ruthless, clobbering 100 off 88 balls as if the pitch had no business being anything other than a batting paradise. Bethell was no passenger either, knuckling down for a composed fifty as the pair put on 179 together in a partnership that barely paused for breath. England rattled to 223 for 2 in 45 overs by stumps. A proper battering. Brook kept the carnage going on Day 3, but New Zealand steadied themselves with the second new ball and England's lower order had no stomach for a fight. From 322 for 6 they were skittled for 354, handing the Kiwis an 84-run lead.

Batter’s paradise - Under extreme heat on a flat Trent Bridge track, the all-important toss went New Zealand's way and they made England toil for almost four and a half sessions. History was made on the very first day, as Devon Conway (157) and Tom Latham (151) constructed a mammoth 317-run opening partnership, now the highest for any wicket by a New Zealand pair against England. They bettered the 276-run stand between Stewie Dempster and Jackie Mills, set way back in 1930 at Wellington in only New Zealand's second ever Test match. And there was more. That partnership is now also the joint-second highest opening stand in WTC history, with the highest of 323 runs belonging to this very same pair. However, England made a slight comeback at the climax of Day 1 by reducing New Zealand to 361/4.

Domination at its very best - Bazball has been buried where it began its journey, says Michael Atherton on air. Disappointment for England, joy and history for New Zealand. The Kiwis have done something they last managed 27 years ago, claiming a series win in England in a series of three or more Tests for the first time since 1999. And the curtain falls on Ben Stokes' England career, not in the blaze of glory he would have wanted, but in defeat. This is England's seventh Test match defeat in their last nine matches, which makes them think plenty about moving forward under a new captain, in a new era. New Zealand, on the other hand, were simply brilliant. What stood out most was how they stepped up with a depleted bowling attack, never flinching, never losing shape. Sharp in the field, composed under pressure, and there when it mattered most, with someone or the other taking the responsibility. Tom Latham walks off with a stump in hand with a proud smile, and his team follows him behind. The Nottingham crowd inside gives them a warm applause for a well-deserved series win.

So New Zealand are just one step away. Shoaib Bashir is the last man in for England.