Key events
Stokes is now striding across the sward towards the Sky microphones, surrounded by ECB people and to an applauding crowd.
Stumps – England 103-4 need 270 to win
15th over: England 95-4 ( Root 9, Gay 6) Santner. A single from Root means Gay must face, out of position, with minutes to go. Brain frazzling, he plumps for a reverse-sweep first ball and New Zealand consider appealing a thick edge but are out of time. Drives the next ball for four to settle the nerves. Joe Root closes a extraordinary day with a forward defensive. Phew.
14th over: England 95-4 (Root 8, Gay 0) Time for Sears and his taped up finger. Relative calm. Until the wicket. Sears roars.
“One of most moemorable moments of my life,” writes Andy Taylor. “Was following the OBO, and then Ball by Ball, on my phone while being on a ferry crossing Lake Garda.”
”Ben Stokes, it’s been a rare privilege to have witnessed that moment in whatever form. Up there, maybe even surpassing Ashes 81 for me. Thank you”
WICKET! Duckett c Mitchell b Sears 36 (England 95-4)
Brute of a ball, leaps off the pitch, Duckett could do nothing and Mitchell scoops it up with brilliant gentle hands at slip. In comes Emilio Gay on a pair.
13th over: England 92-3 (Duckett 35, Root 6) Duckett shimmies and scoops Smith for four, nimble as you like, touch of magic, and Blundell, up to the stumps, crabs and turns his back.
“Evening Tanya,” evening William Lane.
“Who the bloody hell replaces him then? And once we’ve figured out how to fill the Pope-shaped hole at no.3 what to do with Stokes…
“But really, Brook isn’t ready to captain, Root can’t be doing with it (fair enough he’s done his time) and who’s left? It’ll be Brook obviously but isn’t that depressing?
“Not only as captain but as a No.6 and all rounder. Drop Bethell down the order? Bring Pope back (and give him captaincy?) Rehan? Jordan Cox? What the hell do we do?!?.”
I’m not sure I can square the circle. Trying to to think of county captains. Tom Abell? Rory Burns? Jimmy Anderson? How about we bring Adam Hollioake out of retirement at Kent?
12th over: England 85-3 (Duckett 30, Root 4) Just two brutal fours from Duckett – a scoop and kapow! through point.
11th over: England 77-3 (Duckett 22, Root 4) Joe’s in, we can relax, except he now reverse-scoops Smith for four. Sixteen minutes to go.
10th over: England 72-3 (Duckett 21, Root 0) Brook fires four through long off, bangs another through cover where Ravindara desperately crawls alongside the wriggling ball but it escapes to hit the boundary boards. And then, perhaps inevitably, holes out .This must be a difficult situation to bat in – buzzing on the emotion of the captain’s retirement, trying to follow his example, but without his particular aura.
”Yeesh, I didn’t know Stokes could evoke so much vitriol from some. So far in the OBO, he’s been called ‘petulant’ (twice), arrogant and unlikeable. I’ve not heard similar coming out of Durham, which suggests that he might be an OK bloke, not that I’ve met him.
“The air of ‘good riddance’ smacks of both short sightedness and short memory. Of course he’s a flawed human being, for a) we all are and b) you don’t play that much with such (well noted) intensity without being wired slightly differently. Have mistakes been made across the entire management team? Yes. Should they be held accountable? At the cost of diminishing his achievements and potential? No.
“I for one will miss the sheer force of willpower, that cleared bars and made me significantly late for an appointment once, huddled over a strangers iPad at a station for that ridiculous innings in 2019.Apologies for the spiky response, but I thought it worth writing.”
Silk and steel welcome, Toby Sims. We followed that innings from a campsite in the south of France My kids jumping in and out of pool between following it on the phones of other English campers.
WICKET! Brook c Smith b Foulkes 21 (England 72-3)
A pick up and deliver with a fancy bow to fine leg.
9th over: England 62-2 (Duckett 21, Brook 11) Casual as a man picking his teeth, Brook tonks Smith for six over fine leg, then ramps his next ball for four. On the balcony, Stokes smiles. It’s on.
8th over: England 50-2 (Duckett 20, Brook 0) There was time for one last brutal, brilliant four through the covers before the curtains closed. Bethell brought in to slog was out not playing a shot. Quite the game for Foulkes who has whipped the script away from England. Out of the way Emilio, Joe, here comes Brook.
“Good evening from the train to Norwich.” Hello Sam Mugford. “I made the smart choice to duck out at the end of the NZ innings becuase obviously England were going to safely bat out the last hour.
“In other news when Nirvana played their last gig in the UK at Reading festival in 1993 I decided to watch Frank Sidebottom in the comedy tent.”
WICKET! Bethall lbw Foulkes 0 (England 50-2)
Oh dear. No shot from Bethell and the ball thumps into his front pad. He reviews because, because of the emotion probably, but that was going only one way.
WICKET! Stokes c Mitchell b Foulkes 30 (England 50-1)
The air leaves Trent Bridge. Our captain caught at midwicket. He takes off his helmet, and smiles, salutes the crowd, applauded all the way off the pitch and into the dressing room.
7th over: England 46-0 (Duckett 20, Stokes 26) Duckett chips Smith for two over midwicket, picks up three through the covers, then four straight down the ground.
In other cricket news, Australia have beaten India in the Women’s World Cup and knocked them out. England will play South African in the semi final, and Australia West Indies.
6th over: England 36-0 (Duckett 11, Stokes 25) The great disruptor gets four via a backfooted chop, past the diving slip. Duckett plays a straight bat
”Not only is Seaholmes’ view as graceless a valediction as I’ve ever read, it’s also completely counter to my experience – and those of so many others – after watching England Test matches since the days of Edrich and Close.
”An appalling comment. Why did you give it space? What is wrong with people? Modern life is rubbish.” Ah Mark Dawson, there are a proportion of emails like that in my inbox, people have different views. But the vast majority are full of emotional appreciation. As this from James Brough:
“I was going to say, he’s going for a duck or a hundred. Well, it’s not going to be a duck. You wouldnt get Boycott or Atherton opening the batting like this.Did I mention how much I’m going to miss him?”
5th over: England 30-0 (Duckett 10, Stokes 20) Stokes eyes up SMith and sweeps him cleanly, like a dusty corner, over deep square leg for six – falling over in the process. The field is spread by the way, and I imagine and certain panic in New Zealand hearts. Duckett, the old plodder, returns to the strike and the field comes in.
4th over: England 23-0 (Duckett 10, Stokes 13) Stokes is, I suppose, technically dropped as a ball from Foulkes bellows off the pitch and scratches past Stokes bat and keeper’s gloves – but it was an impossible chance. Duckett inside edges four past his stumps.
3rd over: England 18-0 (Duckett 6, Stokes 12) Smith again. A gentle turn off the hips by Duckett brings four. And we all breathe.
There was an earlier comment suggesting Stokes (and Botham) were the only “super” all rounders to win games with bat or ball. I understand the fascination with Stokes, but to leave Kallis out of that is extraordinary. Not to mention Ashwin, Jadeja, Shakib, even Sanath. And in the narrow definition of players winning at least 1 game – tests i assume – with bat or ball, Holder, Root and Clarke have done it too. Sam Curran did it to India. I’m sure there are others ..” I think Bhaskar Agrawal, it was a comment written in the emotion of the moment. As for Kallis – he is the anti Stokes-Botham-Kapil-Imran – substance over style.
2nd over: England 13-0 (Duckett 2, Stokes 11) DROPPED! From O’Rourke’s first ball, Stokes chips him and the ball screams past the fingers of O’Rourke’s right hand in his follow through and nearly flies to the fielder at mid off. Just another chapter of a surreal day. O’Rourke goes off the pitch – with a webbing injury’ and Foulkes must finish the over. Already Tickner has been substituted and Sears isn’t on the pitch after hurting his finger batting. Oh, and here goes Stokes –gallop and change, BANG- six down the ground. A paddle scoop to finish the over brings a single
Not everyone is bathing in ginger captain love. Hello Richard Seaholme “I’m glad he’s going. He’s built a team and a culture in his own image. Arrogant, unlikeable, and disdainful of being asked reasonable questions. No accountability across the whole set up; forget Key and McCullum, it starts and ends with Stokes. If he was capable of showing even the smallest amount of grace, he’d have quit in Sydney. I’ll paraphrase Ben Duckett, when he summed up this woeful period in English cricket better than anyone. Resignations: the more the better.”
1st over: England 2-0 (Duckett 1, Stokes 1) Well Stokes did look in good touch against Northamptonshire last weekend…and he has never got out opening the batting for England. Nathan Smith, curling moustache, runs in and his first ball is nasty and hits Duckett on the bottom hand. Stokes advances down the wicket to his first ball and smashes the ball to mid off. He tries to reverse the next, misses it and falls over. And gets a single off the last with a nudge to third man. On the balcony, his daughter watches with open mouth. Me too.
Stokes opens the batting
First Ben Stokes, then Ben Duckett. Quite the high-risk statement this, through the NZ guard of honour to the middle.
My inbox is overflowing so apologies if I don’t manage to wade through to your email. New Zealand are already out on the field, huddling, if thats a verb. Ben Stokes is padding up.
A hundred for Mitchell! New Zealand declare on 288-9 – England need 373 to win
94th over: New Zealand 288-9 (Mitchell 100, Sears 19) Mitchell anchors four behind square go to 99 and there’s the hundred with a darted single. He roars with … pleasure, pain, relief, pride? –what an excellent, crabbed, brave, hard-working innings- 241 balls, ten fours, one six… and there’s the declaration! And running off the pitch alongside Ben Duckett is Ben Stokes…
93rd over: New Zealand 283-9 (Mitchell 95, Sears 19) A no ball for Jofra for three behind square on the leg side.
“So, during this low-key series, we said shock good-byes to two generational players- Kane and Ben. The world cricket is poorer for it. Just like Ben, Kane also deserved a proper send-off.” Very true Prakhar Gupta, though I think Kane liked it just the low key way it was.
92nd over: New Zealand 279-9 (Mitchell 92, Sears 19) Is this worth risking Sears’ fingers for?
”…. no Sobers or Benaud on the great allrounder list? Say it ain’t so, Tanya!”
”I remember being taken to the Oval many many moons ago, and a great sigh went up around the ground as we entered… Sobers had just got out, so I never did get to see him bat.” But you were in his presence Adrian Goldman, there’s a certificate for that. There must be others who are glaringly obvious – Miller?
WICKET! O’Rourke lbw Atkinson 0 (New Zealand 279-9)
Very much absolutely out! But the third umpire has a look, O’Rourke is almost at the boundary rope waiting for the decision, which is: off you pop. The ball actually skimmed the stumps too, though the bails didn’t come off. And Ben Sears comes back on thanks to excellent work in the NZ finger repair factory.
Sears injured and off the pitch
91st over: New Zealand 278-8 (Mitchell 92, O’Rourke 0) Jofra time. Mitchell takes a blind pull at his first ball and gets hit in the midrift somewhere. Calls for a new helmet to replace the one he’d just put on. He’s still not happy, making running adjustments to the new one at the non-striker’s end. Ben Sears has had another blow to his finger as some extra bounce from Archer spits up and cracks the bottom hand…. and he actually goes off the pitch -potentially very bad news for New Zealand. Mitchell finishes the over with a legside haul for four.
”Like Ed Smyth, I have been having a punishing time,” writes John Swan, “in my case emptying the house I grew up in after my mother’s death. Thought I was all cried out and now this… Oh, *Ben*…” The very best OBO wishes go with you John.
90th over: New Zealand 269-8 (Mitchell 85, Sears 18) Remarkably, Mitchell is ok to carry on, but they have to replace the ball. Atkinson lets rip an unplayable delivery that flames past Sears.
Hello H North. ”I think the comment from Nigam (over 83) is a bit off. Two come to mind immediately: Kallis at Karachi in 2007 and against the West Indies at Cape Town in 1999. In the first he scored 255 and SA won by 160, which seems pretty conclusive to me…”
90.4 overs: New Zealand 269-8 (Mitchell 84, Sears 18) Slam! Mitchell advances and dambusters four straight off Atkinson. A gorgeous delivery passes the outside edge, then – YIKES – Atkinson hits Mitchell hard as he mini steps, mini steps down the pitch, the ball lifts and as Mitchell crouches it slams him in the grill and he drops straight down. He’s up straight away but the physio is on immediately.
New ball taken
89th over: New Zealand 265-8 (Mitchell 80, Sears 18) At last England take the new ball, but still no breakthrough for Tongue who is wicketless so far in this Test.
88th over: New Zealand 262-8 (Mitchell 79, Sears 16) Bashir wheels through a quick set.
Thank you so much to Andrew Crossley for an on-the-spot report from Trent Bridge
”In response to your question: there was no announcement, but news filtered through on phones, and led to an immediate and spontaneous ovation…which continued into the ball in which he got his wicket.
Lovely “I was there” moment. A steady day, but absorbing, and fun to see Joe Root conducting the crowd like an impresario.”
87th over: New Zealand 260-8 (Mitchell 78, Sears 15) Another four over the slips off Tongue, rather elegant by Sears. And to finish the over Mitchell twists and hauls SIX over midwicket to the accompaniment of boring, boring Mitchell.
“I can’t quite believe that Ben Stokes is leaving the international stage, still in his prime, at least as a bowler and captain,” writes Colum Fordham. “If it weren’t for the ‘incident’ after the first test, I think we’d’ve seen a few more series from arguably our greatest player ever. The innings to win the World Cup was magnificent but the match I will remember most was the third test against Australia which I watched with my son Simo on holiday in Cilento. I remember his and my disbelief at Stokes’ strokes. So whilst he was -and is – a great all-rounder, his most remarkable performances have been with the bat. I would disagree with James Bough. On his day, Ben Stokes was a truly great batsman. Maybe he has one last innings in him.”
86th over: New Zealand 249-8 (Mitchell 72, Sears 10) A thin outside edge from Sears off Bashir zips past a diving Brook and down to the rope. A pocketful of singles.
Chris Brennan has a spiky response to the news. “Great cricketer but rubbish retirement. Can’t help feeling that this is a petulant response to being dropped for second test. Lost a bit of respect for the man, he abandons his team with warning. To release the news in the middle of a match just shows he thinks he’s bigger than the team and the job of captain. Timing to make biggest impact. Petulant.”
85th over: New Zealand 241-8 (Mitchell 69, Sears 5) Josh Tongue with the old ball as our heads are elsewhere. Mitchell slices four over slip – a toe on the accelerator.
“I have been having a complete shit of a week. Seeing Stokes go is not the news I wanted to see, but I hope he can find the peace he deserves. And maybe a hug from Jack Leach – the best batting partner he ever had. Tears, Ed Smyth.”
Beautifully said. And a hug being sent your way to Ed. Hope next week is a better one.
Evening session
83rd over: New Zealand 236-8 (Mitchell 64, Sears 5) Is anyone at the ground? Did they announce Stokes’ retirement, or put it on the big screen? He gets a guard of honour from the England players as he walks back onto the pitch. We are still going with the old ball, but Stokes has been persuaded to give himself a break. Bashir now, enormously long legs, luxuriant hair. Mitchell hits a ball in anger, but only gets a single.
“With the retirement of Ben Stokes, we have lost what I call one of the few super all rounders in the history of cricket,” writes Nigam Nuggehalli . “I define a super all rounder as a player who has won games for their country both as a bowler and as a batsman. This would include players like Stokes and Botham. Can we think of anyone else? I don’t think Imran or Kapil or Kallis won a Test match for their batting alone.” Hmmm, Nigam, I would need some research time – but surely Kallis did? I wonder if Rob Smyth is awake?
Hello Seth Levine.
“Excellent package on Stokes’ career by Sky, set to the words of Teddy Roosevelt’s “man in the arena” speech. They must have had it prepared, like the Beeb’s announcement of the death of the Queen. Less Operation London Bridge. More Operation Trent Bridge.”
It was super wasn’t it.
Stuart Broad has just pointed out that tickets are free for Trent Bridge tomorrow…
The OBO mailbox is filling up with tear-stained notes.
“Afternoon Tanya,” lovely to hear from you Stef in Peterborough.
“I’m stunned by the Ben Stokes news and very sad. I can only imagine he’s had a falling out with those above. Wouid he reconsider to carry on playing but just give up the captaincy?
It’s a strange decision at a strange time but ultimately jusf very sad. Thanks Ben for all you’ve done and wishing you well.”
It’s really sad, when he has so much more to give. And seemed to be enjoying himself so much – even at Durham last week. And he’s worked so hard to come back from injuries. And, and…
And Neil Blackshaw.
“Just switched on the catch up and hit in the stomach—BS retiring. Quite emotional. What a warrior he has been for England . Cricket through and through. I’m sad and was at the time that this last short period did not seem to treat him well ; he looks stressed at Trent Bridge. One of the greatest- cliche but oh so true.”
Here’s the video of Ben Stokes informing his England teammates of his retirement earlier today.
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TEA – New Zealand lead by 318
82nd over: New Zealand 234-8 (Mitchell 63, Sears 4) Fifty-four runs in the session, Stokes bowling unchanged from lunch. He leads the team off, a shocked ground rising as one.
“Oh, bloody hell.” Well exactly, James Brough.
“What a loss to England. No more 10 over spells. No more ridiculous catches. No more murderous sixes. I don’t think he was a great batsman, but he played great innings – that double hundred against South Africa, the Ashes hundred at Headingley and the one at Lords in the Bairstow game were innings that so few players could produce. And then his captaincy – how many England captains have had such an effect on their side. I’ll miss him. I really will.”