Stokes blow compounds England slide towards defeat

Third Test, Hamilton (day three of five)

New Zealand 347 (Santner 76; Potts 4-90) & 453 (Williamson 156, Young 60, Mitchell 60)

England 143 (Henry 4-48, Santner 3-7, O’Rourke 3-33) & 18-2

England need 640 runs to win

Scorecard

England’s slide towards a massive defeat in the third Test against New Zealand was compounded by a concerning recurrence of Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury.

Stokes was in visible distress as he left the field clutching the same left hamstring he injured in August, subsequently missing four Tests.

The captain was bowling his third over of the third day, midway through the afternoon session. He pulled up in the follow-through of his second delivery, went straight to the dressing room and did not return for the remainder of the New Zealand second innings. The all-rounder will have a scan overnight.

Even before Stokes was injured, England were staring down the barrel as an inevitable Kane Williamson century built New Zealand’s monstrous lead.

After rain delayed play by two and a half hours, Williamson moved to 156. He added 107 with Rachin Ravindra, who made 44, and another 92 with Daryl Mitchell, who helped himself to 60.

When New Zealand were finally bowled out for 453, England’s target was a world-record and improbable 658.

England were left six overs to bat, in which time Ben Duckett played an awful hack to drag on off the retiring Tim Southee and Zak Crawley was lbw to his tormentor Matt Henry.

The tourists will resume on 18-2 when play gets under way at the earlier time of 10:30 (21:30 GMT Monday) on day four.

Dry weather is forecast for days four and five, giving New Zealand plenty of time to salvage a consolation victory from a series England have already won.

For England, the bigger worry is Stokes’ fitness.

This is a devastating blow for Stokes, whose progress from left-knee surgery at the end of last year has now been hit by two hamstring injuries in the space of five months.

The first, sustained playing for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, ruled him out of the home series against Sri Lanka and first Test in Pakistan. Stokes later admitted the mental toll the battle to get fit in Pakistan took on him, made worse by a break-in at his home while he was away.

The captain has looked near to his best in New Zealand, the country of his birth, both as a leader and a player.

The 33-year-old had been able to play a full role as a fourth seamer, but it is the repeat injury after such a bowling workload that is the cause for alarm.

The 23 overs he bowled on the first day of this Test are the most he has bowled in a single day, his 36.2 overs in the match his most since June 2022 and the 66.1 overs in the series his most as captain.

Stokes pulled up with a back problem during the first Test in Christchurch, though was able to stay on the field. His immediate reaction here was an instant indication of the severity of the issue.

As Ravindra hoiked to mid-on, Stokes hobbled off, covering his face as he left. Ollie Pope, already standing-in as wicketkeeper, took over as captain.

Stokes had treatment and will be assessed further before England make a decision on whether he bats in the second innings.

His spell with MI Cape Town in the SA T20 in January will surely be cancelled and any slim prospect of a return to the England one-day team for the Champions Trophy is over. More important are the questions over his long-term prospects as a Test bowler.

When New Zealand resumed on 136-3, leading by 340, England’s prospects were already bleak and Williamson mercilessly removed any semblance of hope.

On his home ground, Williamson racked up his seventh century and nudged his average at Seddon Park to 94.94. From 50 overnight, he was watchful and correct, mainly waiting for England to drop short in order to cut to the square boundary.

On 73, Williamson survived the tightest lbw shout from Brydon Carse and on 80 miscued Shoaib Bashir over Carse at mid-wicket. On 86, a pull at a Stokes bouncer was parried by Pope flying down the leg side. It would have been a magnificent catch.

When Stokes was injured he was replaced in the attack by left-arm spinner Jacob Bethell, whom Williamson hit for six over long-on to go to his 33rd Test hundred. The action simply became about how many runs New Zealand wanted to amass.

Williamson seemed nailed for a double, only to sweep Bashir to sub fielder Rehan Ahmed at deep square leg. Mitchell holed out to long-off to become Bethell’s first Test wicket.

The futility of New Zealand continuing to grow their lead bordered on farce. England spared their seamers and Harry Brook bowled with the second new ball.

The crowd chanted for Southee and got their wish after Mitchell Santner was out for 49, including five sixes. England gave Southee his second guard of honour of the match, his quest to add to his 98 career sixes ended by lofting Bethell to long-on. Next ball, Bethell bowled Henry to end with 3-72.

Zak Crawley overturned being given out leg before to Henry from the fifth ball of the innings, before Duckett’s ridiculous charge at Southee.

There was still time for Henry to get Crawley for the sixth time in six innings in the series. Crawley ends with a series average of 8.66 – no England opener has ever batted as much in a single series and ended with a lower average.