Black Caps v England result: Matt Henry takes 11 wickets as New Zealand cruise to victory to level test series at The Oval

The Black Caps have crushed England by 253 runs to claim victory at the Oval, and squared the three-test series with one to play.

Chasing 463 for what would be a world record total, England lasted just 10.1 overs to be bowled out for 209 before lunch on day five.

While New Zealand needed five wickets on the final day, Matt Henry completed the job single-handedly, claiming second innings figures of 6-29, to go with 5-80 in the first to give him a maiden test 10-wicket haul. Naturally, his figures of 11-109 are Henry’s career-best, the best for a New Zealander against England, and saw him named man-of-the-match.

Henry blew the game open in just the third over of the day when he removed England’s interim captain Joe Root (77), and needed just 31 deliveries to wrap up the hosts’ dismal test. Finishing with 11 was just reward for Henry, who had been stranded on match hauls of nine wickets on three previous occasions.

Admittedly, with only previous wins over Zimbabwe and the West Indies, this victory was without question the finest of the Black Caps under Rob Walter, and the perfect response to the 115-run defeat at Lord’s last week.

New Zealand head into the decider with plenty of positives, namely Glenn Phillips’ breakthrough innings and Henry Nicholls’ stepping into the shoes of the recently retired Kane Williamson, to go with Henry’s arrival in the series after back issues at Lord’s.

However, the Black Caps will weigh up changes in the bowling unit, considering the tight turnaround between The Oval and Trent Bridge. The pair of Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke will come under the microscope, given their recent returns from back surgery, while the presence of Mitchell Santner as a specialist spinner will also be considered.

Despite victory, the Black Caps remain fourth in the World Test Championship standings, with three wins, one draw and one defeat from their first five matches played, behind Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

England, meanwhile, will almost certainly return to captain Ben Stokes, who sat out in south London after his late-night nightclub scuffle after the series opener alongside fast bowler Gus Atkinson. The pair had been under investigation by England’s cricket regulator, but the nature of this defeat appears to have been all forgiven with no further punishment.

Despite Root’s strong showing with the bat in the second innings, England’s record under his captaincy now reads just one victory from the past 18 tests played. Twice, England had New Zealand on the back foot, at 107-4 and 28-2 in the first and second innings respectively, and on both occasions let the situation slip.

For all the local hopes of a world record run chase, England’s race was effectively run with the day’s 13th ball, when Henry trapped Root lbw to expose the hosts’ long tail, on show when he bowled Jofra Archer (0) with one that kept low to leave the hosts 188-7.

One over later, Henry had his fourth in the innings and ninth in the match when Matt Fisher played onto his stumps for an eight-ball duck, and then his fifth and 10th when Josh Tongue edged his first delivery to Daryl Mitchell at slip.

As the last specialist batter, Jordan Cox survived Henry’s hat-trick ball and saw England cross 200 when he ramped Jamieson to third man for a boundary. But after a late flourish, Cox became Henry’s final victim when he walked too far across his stumps and was bowled around his legs for 25.

The third and final test begins at Trent Bridge next Thursday night (NZT).

New Zealand 391 & 362

England 291 & 209 (Root 76; Henry 6-29)

New Zealand win by 253 runs

Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.