England vs New Zealand, third Test player ratings: Jofra Archer and Ben Duckett impress in Ben Stokes’ farewell Test | Cricket News

England suffered a 160-run defeat to New Zealand in the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge, Ben Stokes’ last match as an international cricketer following his shock retirement mid-game – here’s how the players rated…

Ben Duckett – 8

Batting: 113 and 36

Finally notched the hundred it felt like his form all series had been threatening.

His 113 off 99 balls, containing 19 boundaries, on the second evening appeared to have England in the ascendency – a remarkable feat given New Zealand were 317-0 a mere 24 hours earlier.

He was kicking himself for getting out when he did though, dragging one onto his stumps from Nathan Smith that precipitated England’s fall to 354 all out, and a first-innings deficit of 84, the following morning.

He and Stokes had a bit of fun at the top of the order in the second innings, albeit all too briefly. His innings wasn’t quite as chaotic as the captain’s and others, with there not being much he could do about a Ben Sears delivery that exploded off a length and proved his undoing.

Emilio Gay – 4

Batting: 0 and 10

Technically, he should be dropped down the order here to mirror him making way for Stokes in the second innings.

He was hard done-by in that sense, and on a bit of a hiding to nothing when he did finally arrive at the crease at No 6, with England’s hopes hanging by a thread.

Much like the hosts, he’s faded as the series has worn on, following a promising start with two fifties in his first three Test innings.

Here, he gloved one from Will O’Rourke down leg for a five-ball duck and then fell foul to the terrific Smith second time round.

Jacob Bethell – 7

Batting: 74 and 0; Bowling: 0-18 (first innings)

A welcome return to form with the bat in the first innings, as he shared in the 179-run partnership with Duckett that appeared to have England well placed, until he followed Joe Root back to the pavilion inside the first three overs of a third morning that rocked the hosts.

This was much more the ‘Sydney vintage’ Bethell – and his magnificent maiden hundred from the fifth Ashes Test in January – rather than the player who had a combined 29 runs to his name through the first two Tests of the summer.

That said, there was still an awful misjudgement from him for his second-innings dismissal, which saw him out lbw when shouldering arms to one that jagged back into him from Zak Foulkes.

Joe Root – 6

Batting: 21 and 18; Bowling: 1-7 (first innings)

There will be more memorable Test match contributions from Root, that’s for sure.

He can count himself a touch unlucky in both innings though, out lbw to Smith with the keeper stood up – which is becoming a bit of a problem for him, admittedly – and then a combination of a brilliant bit of fielding from Henry Nicholls and a poor call from his partner Jamie Smith proving his undoing when run out on the final morning.

Claimed a bonus wicket of Devon Conway, following his and Tom Latham’s 317-run opening stand for New Zealand.

Harry Brook – 4

Batting: 58 and 21

Where to start with Brook?

He hit a decent fifty in the first innings, but the less said about his bonkers nine-ball stay at the crease second time round, and particularly his dismissal, the better.

Sure, Stokes set the tone for the side with the way he batted at the top, but by the time of Brook’s introduction the field was more spread and there was a man placed at deep fine-leg for precisely the shot he was attempting.

New Zealand said it themselves when caught on the stump microphone saying: “What are they doing?”

Brook has too much talent to toss his wicket away so carelessly, and it’s becoming all too frequent a habit following on from the Ashes.

Jamie Smith – 6

Batting: 1 and 60

Another who hinted at a welcome return to form with the bat following a prolonged lean spell.

Smith’s 60 off 90 balls on the final morning admittedly didn’t have much jeopardy attached to it, with the series already drifting away from England, but the innings did contain some nice flourishes with eight boundaries a glorious straight six struck off Mitchell Santner.

He was pretty solid behind the stumps – even standing up to Jofra Archer at one point – though he did drop Latham on 129, and combined with Root to put down nightwatchman O’Rourke the following morning, while he was a little loose on the drive for his first-innings dismissal.

Ben Stokes – 7

Batting: 15 and 30; Bowling: 4-70 and 2-49

It’s hard not to take in Stokes’ whole body of work when grading his farewell Test appearance, given the glorious moments he’s treated us to over the near 13 years since making his debut.

He reserved one more for the last of his 122 Test caps, taking a wicket with his very first ball after the news of his impending international retirement broke at 3.25pm on Sunday, sparking wild scenes of celebration from the skipper and in the stands.

Stokes was in the midst of an 11-over, lionhearted spell between lunch and tea, the sort that has become his trademark and that which also punctuated his first-innings 4-70 with the ball as he took his 250th wicket in Tests.

The batting, as has been the case for a while, was far from his vintage best, even if his 20-ball innings as opener – though all too brief – was pure box office.

Gus Atkinson – 6

Bowling: 1-79 and 2-50; Batting: 23 and 19

A more low-key return to the Test team for Atkinson after he, along with Stokes, missed the second Test at The Oval following their trip to a Chelsea nightclub after the series-opening win at Lord’s that feels a lifetime ago!

He was fine with the ball in both innings, if not at his incisive best – though, to caveat that, he and the rest of the England attack had the misfortune of toiling in blistering heat of the first day when the pitch was at its best for batting.

And speaking of batting: Atkinson, bizarrely, faced the most deliveries of any England player across the Test match, 156 balls in total.

Jofra Archer – 7

Bowling: 2-75 and 4-53; Batting: 15 and 2

A really positive week for Archer, ending with him being named England’s Player of the Series for his 11 wickets across the final two Tests.

Back-to-back Tests, it must be added, with just a three-day gap in between, serving as a real positive given his injury troubles and availability issues in the past.

He always carried a threat and arguably deserved greater than the six-wicket return he achieved. He was superb in the second innings, in particular, as he twice threatened to run through New Zealand when dismissing their openers inside the first three overs of his new ball spell, and then when bouncing out Tom Blundell and accounting for Smith in consecutive overs after lunch on day four.

Josh Tongue – 4

Bowling: 0-75 and 0-75

Didn’t bowl as poorly as his figures suggest and, to reiterate, it was particularly hard toil for the pacers over those first two days.

That said, Tongue’s return over the series in its entirety – eight wickets at an average of 49.87 – is poor, especially considering his form was one of the few positives to come out of the Ashes when taking 18 wickets in his three appearances at 20s.

The only member of the attack to play all three Tests possibly contributed to his struggles here, unable to carry his usual threat in sapping conditions, while he proved particularly expensive in the second innings.

While Archer and Atkinson went for roughly two an over, and Stokes less than, Tongue’s 14 overs went for 5.35 apiece.

Shoaib Bashir – 5

Bowling: 2-105 and 1-42

You can’t fault his effort and commitment, not just with the ball but in the field – his chasing down of what looked a certain Nicholls boundary late on the first evening led to two wickets in two balls.

Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra were forced to run three, bringing the latter on strike who then top-edged a pull off Atkinson, before Nicholls nicked off to Archer’s very next delivery.

He struggled to hold length in the first innings and, as a result, was maybe underused a touch in the second when there was more assistance on offer.

England vs New Zealand Test series results

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