England slumped to a 253-run defeat against Latest Zealand on the fifth morning of the second Rothesay Test to prompt a swift recall for Ben Stokes ahead of next week’s series decider.
Shortly before play began on the Kia Oval, the England and Wales Cricket Board withdrew Stokes and Gus Atkinson from their county sojourns with Durham and Surrey, and head coach Brendon McCullum subsequently confirmed that Stokes will return as captain at Trent Bridge.
What unfolded on the ultimate morning’s play at The Oval suggested a rapidly rearranged England team showing five changes from the one Stokes led to victory at Lord’s earlier this month was in desperate need of reinforcements.
That was how long it took Matt Henry to cut back them from 182 for five overnight to down and out for 209, squaring the scoreline at 1-1 ahead of the likely circus that may accompany Stokes to Nottingham.
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PICTURES: Ben Whitley/PA
Imperious
The house side arrived with their probabilities of victory all but gone, needing 281 runs for a world record chase of 463, but at the least had the reassuring presence of Joe Root to hold their fading hopes.
When he was trapped lbw by the relentless Henry within the third over of the day, with just two runs added to his overnight 75, the lights went out on England.
Henry finished them off with ruthless efficiency – too skilful, too consistent and too precise for a house side that has showed a soft underbelly since being rejigged in Stokes’ absence.
The Kiwi seamer was imperious as he stitched together consecutive double wicket maidens in a row, starting by sneaking one past Root’s front pad and into his back leg.
Questions
Jofra Archer was next for a two-ball duck as he lost his stumps to 1 that kept low.
Henry bagged two more in his next visit, Matt Fisher dragging on to follow his first-innings 50 with a nought before Josh Tongue nicked the following ball to slide.
That secured Henry’s first-ever 10-wicket match in Test cricket and he went one higher, ending a transient rally by debutant Jordan Cox by cleansing him up as he danced around his crease.
Henry took the acclaim with an impressive six for 29, leaving England with loads of inquiries to answer on and off the sphere.
Back
After the match, McCullum confirmed Stokes would return for the third Test in Nottingham.
“Ben will probably be back. He’ll be back and he’ll be captain,” McCullum said.
“I believe everyone is worked up about that, especially after seeing him hit some form for Durham.
“I’ve been talking to Ben each day since we had the incident and my assessment was that I used to be fearful about him.
“To see him go on the market and play some cricket and appear to be he was having fun with himself is basically positive.
“I’m not going to expose our conversations because they’re confidential but it surely’s great to see him back playing and I stay up for seeing him in a few days.”
READ MORE: Ben Stokes moves closer to England return after withdrawal from Durham duty
