New Zealand defeated England by 160 runs on 29 June 2026. The match took place at Trent Bridge, and New Zealand won the Test series 2-1. The “Black Caps” successfully completed a famous comeback after losing the opening match of the series at Lord’s.
This victory represents only the fourth time New Zealand has won a Test series on British soil. The match also served as the final international appearance for England skipper Ben Stokes, who announced his retirement during the match.
New Zealand Dominance at Trent Bridge
New Zealand entered the final day of the third Test needing six wickets to secure the series. England resumed their second innings at 103 for 4, still chasing a daunting target of 373 runs. However, the visitors took control early in the morning session under overcast skies.
Nathan Smith dismissed Emilio Gay for 10 runs in the fourth over of the day. Just four balls later, a brilliant direct hit from Henry Nicholls ran out Joe Root for 18 runs. This double blow left England struggling at 116 for 6.
Jamie Smith and Gus Atkinson shared a partnership of 75 runs for the seventh wicket. Nevertheless, Mitchell Santner broke the stand shortly before the lunch break by trapping Atkinson leg-before-wicket for 19.
New Zealand’s Nathan Smith bowled out Jofra Archer and then Josh Tongue, the latter falling to another direct hit run out by Mitchell Santner. Jamie Smith eventually fell for a fighting 60 runs when he hit a catch to Nathan Smith off the bowling of Santner. This final wicket bundled England out for 212 and confirmed the 160-run victory for New Zealand.
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Ben Stokes Retires Following Series Defeat
The England captain announced on Sunday he would end his 15-year international career after this match. He said that the immense pressure of leading the team is the reason why he chose to retire from international cricket.
Stokes ends his career as one of only three men to have scored 7,000 Test runs and taken 200 wickets. He also holds the record for the most sixes hit in the history of Test cricket. In his final on-field act, he opened the batting on the fourth evening and raced to 30 runs off 20 balls. Unfortunately, his departure leaves England looking for a new captain ahead of their next Test series against Pakistan in August.
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Key Performers in the Three-Test Series
Several players stood out during the hard-fought series for the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy. New Zealand’s Nathan Smith earned the Player of the Series award after taking 16 wickets in three matches. Jofra Archer received the Player of the Series award for England, having finished as their leading wicket-taker with 11 scalps.
Daryl Mitchell won the Player of the Match award for the final Test at Trent Bridge. He scored a vital 100 not out in the third innings to put the game beyond England’s reach. In addition, Tom Latham and Devon Conway made 317 runs together. This is a new record for New Zealand against England.
Updated World Test Championship Standings
The series win has helped New Zealand climb up in the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. New Zealand currently holds third place with a points percentage of 72.22%. Consequently, they are closing the gap on second-placed South Africa.
Meanwhile, England’s fortunes have declined following this home defeat. They have lost seven of their last nine Test matches. Resultantly, England has slipped to seventh place in the WTC table with a points percentage of 24.36%. Their standing was further impacted by a 12-point deduction for maintaining a slow over-rate during the second Test at The Oval.
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