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New Zealand have defeated England in the third and final Test as Tom Latham’s boys clinched the three-match series 2-1. They also created history after their impressive 160-run win over the Three Lions, as it was their first series win after losing the first Test match. Tom Latham also joins an elite list of captains.
The Kiwis set the home team a target of 373 runs as Ben Stokes’ side were bowled out for 212 runs, with Jamie Smith top-scoring in the run chase with 60 runs. After winning the series, Tom Latham became the sixth captain to win a Test series on foreign soil in both India and England.
Tom Latham joins elite list
Apart from this, Tom Latham also became the first foreign captain in this century to win Test series in England and India. This is a historic achievement for the southpaw since taking over the leadership role of the team in the traditional format of the game. Earlier, they had defeated India in the October-November 2024 Test series.
Under his leadership, the Kiwis became the first visiting team to defeat India 3–0 in a three-match Test series on home soil. They completely defeated one of the most dominant domestic teams in the oldest format of the game. The win at Trent Bridge is New Zealand’s first series win of three or more Tests in England since 1999.
“Really special moment” – Tom Latham after historic series win against England
Tom Latham was happy with New Zealand’s performance and called it a historic moment for the team and was also happy with the effort shown by the team throughout the series. The opening batsman also took a dig at buzzball and said that he played traditional old school cricket rather than aggressive cricket.
“Yeah, really special moments. I think when you go out at the start of a series, I think that’s what you want to work towards. But, yeah, I think the most enjoyable thing for me is that it’s been a whole team effort over three games. We’ve managed to stick to a style that we’re really proud of.”
“You know, it’s a bit of an old-school Test cricket, you know, maybe it’s been traditionally over the years. So, yeah, just standing here in this position, it’s, yeah, really, really enjoyable and something to be really proud of for guys. (On series wins) Yeah, I think it does.”
“You know, I thought we did a lot of good things at Lord’s. You know, it was a difficult surface, and, you know, things could have been a little different with some different conditions. But I think the way we were able to come to the Oval, be able to play with our brand, some guys raised their hands at some key times.”
“Want to congratulate you on an amazing career” – Tom Latham congratulates Ben Stokes
Latham also congratulated Ben Stokes, who announced his retirement during the Test match yesterday, and also lauded the England captain’s amazing career and recalled some of the battles he faced during his playing days. Stokes started his captaincy tenure with a win against the Kiwis and ended with a loss against them.
He said, “On behalf of the New Zealand cricket team, mate, I just want to congratulate you (Stokes) on a brilliant career. Obviously, a once-in-a-generation player. To play against you for so many years, you’ve obviously had some fierce battles throughout your career. And on behalf of all of us, I just want to congratulate you on a brilliant career, mate. Enjoy your retirement.”