Summary

Have your say on England men this summer

  1. Join us tomorrow...published at 15:45 BST

    Time to bid farewell, to Ben Stokes as an international cricketer and to you, the readers of this page.

    New Zealand have won the Test series against England 2-1 with a 160-run victory at Trent Bridge.

    Be sure to read Stephan Shemilt's day five report from Trent Bridge to see how it all played out.

    If you missed any of the action you can watch Today at the Test later on iPlayer and on BBC Two tonight at 00:05 BST.

    England's men play the first T20 international against India at Chester-le-Street with all of the key moments, including ball-by-ball commentary on TMS. That's an 17:30 BST start.

    We will back tomorrow with live text commentary and ball-by-ball coverage on TMS of the first Women's T20 World Cup semi-final between Australia and West Indies (14:30 BST) at The Oval.

    England's semi-final against South Africa at the same venue takes on place on Thursday at 18:30.

    Here's some more cricket stories might take your fancy as well:

    Have a good day, and see you soon.

  2. Postpublished at 15:44 BST

    Media caption,

    'It's not happening' - Stokes rules out Ashes comeback

    A final word from Ben Stokes for you to watch...

  3. 'We'll start to put some plans in place'published at 15:42 BST

    McCullum to TMS on who will be England's next Test captain: "We've got lots of options. There are a lot of good leaders within the side and lots of guys who will do a fabulous job when the time comes.

    "For now it's just for us to try and enjoy Ben's last day as England captain and then over the coming days, weeks, we'll start to put some plans in place there.

    "But for now I just want to focus on Ben and everything he's achieved for English cricket. He wore his heart on his sleeve the entire time, not just as a player, but even more so as a captain over the last four years and we just want to make sure that he enjoys his final day in this dressing room as England Test captain."

  4. How's stat?!published at 15:41 BST

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    A rare home series defeat for England. Just their third since 2012 - the other two were in two-match series, against New Zealand in 2021 and Sri Lanka in 2014. It's only the sixth home series defeat in their last 46 home series since the 2001 Ashes.

  5. 'I'm very confident in the direction we need to go'published at 15:39 BST

    McCullum to TMS on if he wants to remain head coach: "Of course I do. My commitment to English cricket has never wavered. I firmly believe in the direction that we can get this team to take.

    "This is a disappointing result because we would've liked to get the right result in this series and show some of the improvements we've tried to implement since Australia. Lord's was an excellent example of that. The second Test was clearly difficult and then this Test we had our chances whilst not being able to get across the line.

    "But I'm excited about the talent in English cricket, I'm very confident in the direction we need to go and what changes are needed to be made and how we keep improving. With that, your enthusiasm for the job doesn't waver."

  6. 'We have made some mistakes'published at 15:37 BST

    More from Brendon McCullum, speaking to TMS: "We have got to admit we have made some mistakes throughout the series and ultimately didn't get what we came for. There's been a bit going on off the field. There's been lots we've had to deal with off the field. Some of those things can be quite big distractions.

    "One thing I was proud of was that the guys were actually able to still galvanise as a unit and stay close as a unit and I thought that would give us the best opportunity for this series.

    "We weren't quite able to get there but there was some good stuff and I still believe that we have a firm direction of what we want to do, how we want to play and what we're wanting to achieve. Just because you haven't won doesn't mean those things are wrong.

    "We'll continue to look to improve, we'll continue to look to evolve, we'll continue to look to whilst having our identity, keep progressing and improving and ultimately become a better cricket team. I'm excited about what that looks like. My affection and enthusiasm for the job hasn't wavered and I'm excited about what the future holds."

  7. Reset hasn't worked...published at 15:34 BST

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Ultimately it's about winning. I am sick and tired of hearing about brands. I just want a winning cricket team. You brand changes throughout the week of a Test match. This Test team from England have given us a great ride, it's been fun, but they don't win. English cricket has to be brutally honest with itself.

    Somewhere up at the hiearchy of the ECB they have got to realise it's unacceptable to keep losing Test matches and losing series.

    In my eyes I can't see what's going to change unless you change a bit of the backroom, a bit of the management and we need the reset to start now. They've tried the reset after the Ashes and it hasn't worked. They have to rebuild this England Test team into something that is going to be competitive.

    If you set the goal of being the number one Test team in the world you go and get the best of the best. At the moment I don't think we have the best of the best.

  8. 'He was an inspiration to work with'published at 15:31 BST

    Jonathan Agnew interviews Brendon McCullum at Trent Bridge after the third TestImage source, Getty Images

    England head coach Brendon McCullum, speaking to TMS: "I don't know if surprised would be the word [about Stokes' decision to retire]. Stokes and I have been speaking a lot over the last couple of weeks and I'm not going to go into those conversations but when he tapped me on the shoulder yesterday morning when we got to the ground and said, 'Baz, I'm done,' my first reaction was to talk him down and to try and slow things down. But he had made up his mind and it became pretty obvious that he was keen to step away.

    "From there it turned to just a bit sad really. Sad because for four years we've worked intimately together and we've been through a lot together. We started this journey and we tried to build and shape what we think is the right way forward for this cricket team and to try and help English cricket. It became obvious it hadn't been easy on Stokes, it's a long time to captain an international cricket team and the England team in particular and the scrutiny and the questions that come with it.

    "I'd rather look back on the fondness of our time together rather than on anything else. He was an inspiration to work with. I call him a good friend and wish him all the best for the future."

  9. Postpublished at 15:28 BST

    Sir Alastair Cook
    Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    The bond between the captain and coach, quite clearly something has definitely happened. When not everything is aligned you see results on the cricket field which show that. To be consistent, and get results, everything had to be aligned.

    Not just aligned for a short period of time but a long time. It takes time to build the culture you need, the side you need and the players to fit into that. That's the questions that need to be answered. They made the big decision after the Ashes and the results haven't improved

  10. 'It's going to be weird not seeing him around'published at 15:23 BST

    Joe Root and Ben Stokes wait for the presentation at Trent BridgeImage source, Getty Images

    England's Joe Root speaking to Sky Sports: "I've played cricket with and against Ben Stokes since I was 12 years old. He taught me my first swear word, spraying me. It's going to be weird not seeing him around. I don't think many players have changed the game like he has, the influence in the dressing room, people watching in the crowd, in all facets of the game. It's incredible what he's done over such a long period of time."

    On being told of Stokes' retirement: "I just tried to listen, be as a good as mate as I can. I can only speak as a captain, you understand the emotions that come with it. It's such an amazing thing to get an opportunity to do, and while it can be the right thing to step away from it, it's hard to give up. I can understand why it's been a tricky situation for him. You want to enjoy your cricket and play it for the right reasons, and if you're not in a space to do that then it's probably time to go. The dressing room is going to miss him as a leader, as such a influential player and as a mate too."

    On the Stokes wicket shortly after the retirement announcement: "It was the most Ben Strokes thing ever. I didn't think there's been any other player who has created moments like he has. It was really quite special. Not many players get the opportunity to leave on their own terms, for him to have that is really special."

    On captaining Stokes: "You can't get the ball out his hand, he's a nightmare. You look back at 2019, that innings at Headingley, everyone talks about it, but the bowling spell beforehand was just as important."

    On whether he could captain against Pakistan: "I'm going to enjoy celebrating today and Ben's career and focus purely on that. I think today should be about him and everything he's achieved for English cricket. Like Broady had at The Oval, Cooky had it too, everything they've done for their country, a lot of sacrifices too. To have that to look back on is really special."

  11. Dumb cricket for too long...published at 15:19 BST

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Nothing seems to have changed in the smartness required for Test match cricket. I've seen enough to suggest the coaching team are not getting the maximum out of this team. We saw that last night. It's been dumb cricket for too long.

    We talked about the reset and the reset didn't happen in terms of any changes. I just can't see how the team moves forward without a change because the style of cricket required to be the best in the world is not what we saw last. It's not what we saw in Australia, against India at The Oval or in the last few years.

    If England want to be the best team in the world, I believe there are better coaches out there to maximise more out of this team.

  12. 'I feel lucky - it's been some ride'published at 15:15 BST

    Ben Stokes waving at the end of the third Test at Trent BridgeImage source, Getty Images

    England captain Ben Stokes on best memories: "I look back at some of the things I've been involved with on the field and been able to play with some of the best players England have ever produced. I've been able to share some pretty special memories with those people.

    "I know that I've done some decent things on the field but I look at playing with people who have achieved great things on the field. I'm lucky that I've been able to see what Joe Root has been able to do as a player and a captain, he's still going.

    "Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Alastair Cook - all these greats of the game. Then there are people I've played against, that I've seen do amazing things out of the field.

    "I feel lucky. It's been some ride and something I'll always be able to look back on with fond memories."

  13. Postpublished at 15:10 BST

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    There's now a great opportunity for a lot of young players now. An opportunity for the team to move on without Ben Stokes. They will miss not just his game but his mentality.

    I think he has been thinking for a while. When you have done it for such a long period time and you given English cricket so much. Then you're at the vulnerability stage, which he was at, when you need your whole team to back you, i.e. the whole of the ECB, and they didn't, I would say that's the final nail in the coffin.

  14. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 15:08 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page

    Let us not forget Kane Williamson retired in the same series, one of the big three in recent years! In some cases a bigger loss than Stokes announcement yesterday. Credit to New Zealand for their resilience and hunger.

    Jamaze, Birmingham

  15. 'Fond memories, even if there's been some controversy'published at 15:06 BST

    England captain Ben Stokes at the post-match presentation, on why he's retired now: "I think I explained that in as much as I could yesterday.

    "There might be a few questions that people have but I hope it can be respected that, at the end of the day, the most important person in making this decision is myself. I didn't take the decision lightly or rush into it.

    "I had a number of people who I trust to talk to about these things, quite personal things. I tried throughout this whole week to see if I could get myself through and see about going beyond this week but it wasn't meant to be.

    "I'm very pleased with everything that I've been able to do across my career. It is sad that this is no longer going to be something that I get to do.

    "There's some things that I will miss and some things I will quite happily say that I don't have to worry about anymore.

    "There's quite a lot of emotion obviously, but I'm very proud of what I've done. I'm happy that I feel I've been able to contribute some happiness to fans that support us everywhere we go in the world."

    On why the announcement came during the match: "I told a few people who I'm close with in the team the night before and then told the team in the morning.

    "The comms team we've got here, along with my management Michael Lumb and Neil Fairbrother, I just said 'I've got quite a lot to focus on these last two days so you come up with a plan and we'll just go with it.'

    "I would have to take a wicket after it is made public, wouldn't I?! I look at the way the last two and a half weeks have unfolded has been... interesting, is probably the best way to put it.

    "Again, I can probably look back and laugh at their being some controversy around my last game for England but you could relate that to me as a player throughout - a little bit hit and miss here and there.

    "Here, something pretty simple ended up being a bit complicated. But I've thoroughly enjoyed every time I've walked out on the field and I will look back with fond memories, even if there has been a bit of controversy here and there."

  16. How's stat?!published at 15:04 BST

    Ashwanth R Kavuluri
    CricViz analyst

    Ben Duckett’s 113 in the third Test is England’s only century in this series, compared to five hundreds by the New Zealand batters.

    The last time England had just one century in a series was 16 series ago, during their tour of Australia in the 2021-22 series.

    Overall team batting in this series:

    • New Zealand: 27.2 avg, 3.4 run rate, five 100s, four 50s
    • England: 22.1 avg, 3.5 run rate, one 100, nine 50s
  17. Postpublished at 15:02 BST

    Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    You can always tell when you look at someone in the eyes and when Ben Stokes answered that question [about the Ashes next summer] it can tell you if there was a bit of a glint there. By the way that he spoke, and what he said there, it makes me believe me even more that its truly the end.

  18. 'I wouldn't have it any other way'published at 15:00 BST

    England captain Ben Stokes speaking at the post-match presentation: "It's been a nice couple of days in terms of that [reception from the crowd]. It would've been nice for it to end differently in terms of the result with the way this Test match has gone, an incredibly hard-fought game by both teams.

    "Being exposed to some tricky conditions over the first few days with the weather and that contributing to the pitch playing a little bit differently play by day. That's the great thing about Test cricket, ever day is going to be the different to the one before.

    "Credit to New Zealand and the way that they operated throughout this game, especially Daryl [Mitchell] and Rachin [Ravindra] getting their team comfortably ahead, it was always going to be difficult for us to chase down that total.

    "It's been a game that - and it feels strange to say - ending with a game where you have to go all the way to the end, I wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing I would change is for us to be on the other side of the result.

    "You can't always have things your way. They would have been the perfect end. But the world isn't perfect and that's the one thing I'll be sad about, the result in my last game."

  19. Postpublished at 14:58 BST

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    I think when you are the captain of England you have to have more string to your bow than just playing.

    Everyone is a human being. Ben Stokes is as tough as anyone to wear the three lions, but he's reached a point where he's had enough.

  20. 'A whole squad effort'published at 14:55 BST

    New Zealand captain Tom Latham: "Really special moment. This is what you want to work towards. It's been a whole squad effort, sticking to a style we can be proud of. Really pleasing.

    "We did a lot of good things at Lord's, a tricky surface, things could have been different. At the Oval we played our brand, a few guys stuck their hands up at key moments.

    "We started really well in day one, it was a really partnership at the top. What we did on the morning of day three, took some key wickets, set the tone. Daryl settling the nerves and putting on a key partnership. No other guy that I'd rather have there. We were put under pressure last night with something we weren't really expecting, but we came and got our rewards today.

    "To get those four wickets last night was really important. Some key moments with run-outs and catches."