Ben Stokes’ final day as an international cricketer ended in a heavy England defeat as New Zealand wrapped up a fine series victory at Trent Bridge.
Stokes announced that he would bow out at the end of the third Test just before tea on the fourth day, rocking English cricket before they suffered a seventh defeat in their last nine Tests. The departing skipper seemed determined to go down in a blaze of glory with the bat, promoting himself to open and swinging from the hip before being dismissed for 30. His cavalier charge rather set the tone as England played with reckless abandon, leaving themselves in a real hole at 103/4 overnight chasing an unlikely target of 373 – and despite a half-century from Jamie Smith, last man out, they could not get close in Nottingham.
