Third Rothesay Test, Trent Bridge (day four of five)
New Zealand 438 (Conway 157, Latham 151; Stokes 4-70) & 288-9 dec: (Mitchell 100*, Ravindra 94; Archer 4-53)
England 354 (Duckett 113, Bethell 74; Smith 4-91) & 103-4 (Duckett 36; Foulkes 3-42)
England need 269 more runs to win
England face a mountainous task to send Ben Stokes into retirement with victory over New Zealand after the captain dropped an astonishing announcement on day four of the deciding Test at Trent Bridge.
At the close of one of the most historic, significant and surreal days in English cricketing history, the home side had slogged their way to 103-4 in a chase of a fanciful 373.
Stokes is already out, after opening the batting and setting the tone for the attitude towards the run chase with some ultra-aggression.
He clubbed 30 from 20 balls before being caught at mid-wicket. Stokes left the Test arena for the final time with his bat and helmet held aloft, saluting a rapturous ovation.
The drama began at 15:25 BST, when a statement was circulated confirming that this Test is Stokes’ last. He had told his team-mates in the dressing room on Sunday morning.
At the time, Stokes was in the middle of an 11-over unchanged spell between lunch and tea. In a moment of pure theatre, he had Zak Foulkes caught at second slip with his first ball after the retirement was confirmed.
In truth, the Stokes news made the rest of the action an afterthought.
New Zealand declared their second innings on 288-9 after Daryl Mitchell completed a gutsy century, leaving the Black Caps on the verge of a series win.
That victory is the most likely outcome on Monday, when Stokes’ storied England career will come to an end.