There was an atmosphere of raw emotion at Trent Bridge during the third Test on Sunday, June 28, 2026. England And new zealand One of the most surprising announcements in modern cricket history was witnessed. Amid the high-stakes battle of the decisive third Test, starting on June 25, 2026 in Nottingham, the England captain ben stokes He shocked the global cricket community by revealing that this match would be his final international appearance. The dramatic announcement instantly changed the narrative of the series, and turned the fourth day into an unforgettable farewell to an English cricket icon.
England stars pay tribute to retiring Ben Stokes with guard of honor at Trent Bridge
barely an hour later England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Emotional scenes emerged on the field after the veteran all-rounder suddenly confirmed his retirement. Shortly after the tea break on the fourth day, the atmosphere became serious again. As Stokes walked into the middle for his final international innings, teammates and opponents alike united in respect.
England players formed an emotional guard of honor by lining up with two New Zealand batsmen. The entire Trent Bridge crowd stood together, and gave a deafening, prolonged applause for the man who has defined the grit of English cricket for more than a decade.
The shocking announcement led to a tumultuous few weeks for the England captain. Stokes missed the second Test after an incident involving a fast bowler outside a Chelsea nightclub. Gus Atkinson After the opening of the series. While a thorough investigation by the ECB and the cricket regulator cleared both players of serious wrongdoing, they received formal written warnings. After missing one match to play for their respective counties, both were recalled for this important series decider.
Stokes immediately made his presence felt, taking 4 for 70 in New Zealand’s first innings and 2 more wickets in the second, briefly regaining the momentum for the hosts.
Here is the video:
Guard of Honor, for the man who gave everything ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nfjLkLC7wO
– England Cricket (@englandcricket) 28 June 2026
New Zealand close to series win heading into day five
Despite the emotional farewell, New Zealand were firmly in control of the match by the end of the fourth day and set themselves perfectly for a memorable series win on foreign soil. Black Caps dominated the first innings with a mammoth score of 438 runs Rachin Ravindrafabulous 72 more darryl mitchella resilient 113. England responded with 354, largely thanks to young jacob bethelelegant 74 and harry brookof rapid-fire 58, while nathan smith Cracked the lineup with figures of 4/91.
In their second innings, New Zealand took the lead thanks to an extraordinary, unbeaten century from Mitchell (100* off 241 balls) and a steady 94 from Ravindra. despite this jofra archerAfter a tremendous spell of 4/53, the visitors declared the innings at 288/9, leaving England with a challenging target of 373 runs to win.
England’s chase of the target began with a quick but chaotic counter-attack. Stokes, who came to open the innings with a surprising strategy, scored a quick 30 runs including two fours and two sixes in just 20 balls before falling. zak faulx. Foulkes wreaked havoc at the top of the order and took 3 wickets for 42 runs in a sensational spell.
At stumps on the fourth day, England found themselves at 103/4 after just 15 overs, with Bethel (0), Brook (2), and ben duckett (36) In quick succession. with Joe Root (9) and emilio gay (6) Holding the fort, England still need 270 runs on the final day, while New Zealand need only six wickets to end the Test match and secure the series.
