Ben Stokes says he will “look back with fond memories” on his time as England captain after losing to New Zealand at Trent Bridge in his final Test match as an international cricketer.
England won the first Test of a three-match series with the Black Caps, taking a 1-0 lead after emerging victorious at Lord’s.
But the series went downhill for the hosts after Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson were banned for the second Test after breaking an ECB curfew while celebrating the Lord’s win.
New Zealand secured a resounding win at The Oval in the second Test – and followed that up with a thumping 160-run victory at Trent Bridge, where Stokes and Atkinson had been recalled.
Stokes stuns cricket world
Stokes stunned the cricket world on Sunday when it was announced, via his communications team, that he was retiring from international cricket at the conclusion of the third Test.
The Trent Bridge crowd heard the news while Stokes was coming to the end of a gruelling bowling spell – and he took a wicket after the crowd had stood to applaud his career.
But that was as good as it got for England, who lost four wickets in the evening session on Sunday chasing an unlikely 373 for victory.
Trent Bridge made day five free for spectators, but those who turned up witnessed a fielding masterclass from the Kiwis, who pulled off two stunning run outs to send Joe Root and Josh Tongue back to the pavilion.
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Fight from Smith
Wicketkeeper Jamie Smith provided some fight with a gutsy 60 off 91 balls – but he was the last wicket to fall as England slumped to 212 all out, with Zak Foulkes (3-52), Mitchell Santner (2-54) and Nathan Smith (2-64) doing much of the damage with ball in hand.
It was a seventh loss in the last nine Test matches for England, and Stokes said in a post-match interview on Sky Sports: “There are a few people with a few questions but I hope that it can be respected that the most important person who can make the decisions is myself.
“I didn’t take the decision lightly or rush into it – I had a number of people who I trust to talk through these things.
“I tried this whole week to see if I could get myself ready to see myself going beyond that but I couldn’t.
Interesting few weeks
“I told a few people I’m close with about my decision the night before, and then the team in the morning.
“I told my comms team to come up with a plan because I had quite a lot to concentrate on over the last two days.
“When I look at the way the last two and a half weeks have unfolded, it has obviously been interesting, but I can look back one day and have a laugh that there was a bit of controversy over my last game for England.
“You could relate that to me as a player – a little bit hit and miss at times – and with this [announcement], something pretty simple ended up being complicated.
“But I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every single time I’ve walked on the field and will look back with fond memories at everything, even if there is a bit of controversy here and there.”
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Leader of men
England head coach Brendon McCullum transformed English cricket alongside Stokes when the duo were appointed by Rob Key, and the term ‘BazBall’ was born, outlining their free-flowing and attack-minded approach to Test cricket.
Former New Zealand star McCullum told Sky Sports: “Stokes has had an impact on so many people, not just since he’s been captain but throughout his career.
“He is a leader of men – people follow him. He’s made such a significant impact over the last four years. He is going to be missed.
“We’ve been speaking for a couple of weeks, but when he confirmed to me yesterday that he was going to retire, I tried to talk him down.
At peace with decision
“It became pretty obvious he had made his decision and was at peace with it.
“Your emotion then leads on to sadness, really, because you’ve been on this journey together for four years. It’s been a real thrill.
“I feel privileged to have worked intimately with Stokesy during that time and consider him a good friend.
“I hope his next chapter is as great as his last.”
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Michael Davey