Black Caps will back themselves to win third test and series over England

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

ANALYSIS: The Black Caps finally found a way to comprehensively defeat England - and will back themselves to repeat it to win the series.

For the first time in the past nine crucial tests between the two sides, New Zealand found the ideal style to dictate terms over the hosts at The Oval to win the second test by 253 runs.

They head to Nottingham knowing that they’re capable of doing some robbing in the hood and riding off with their first away three-test series win over England since 1999, and be in contention for a place in the World Test Championship final.

After losing a frenetic, lottery ticket-type test at Lord’s, coach Rob Walter and captain Tom Latham would have loved shifting south through London to find a fine surface, and then applied themselves to the task of putting the summer heat on a home side which was already showing signs of coming undone after briefly pushing the recent nightmare of an Ashes horror show into the recesses of memory.

With five changes to their winning XI - including the absence of their inspirational skipper after a London late night out - England were there for the taking, and NZ took them to the cleaners.

The pace of the game, which only ended early on day five due to Matt Henry’s superb spell, suited the visiting side. After being asked to bat on a pitch which offered the expected initial assistance to the quick bowlers, they dug in on day one and then exploited some awful England bowling early the next day to bat for almost 100 overs.

Brendon McCullum’s team have toned down some of their approach to batting, but NZ handicapped them too with a sharp run-out of Ben Duckett, and Henry keeping Harry Brook in check.

With a 100-run lead, the recalled Henry Nicholls and the middle order ensured the advantage was not squandered. Brook tried his utmost to unsettle them in the massive chase, while Joe Root batted like the second-highest runscorer in test history, but Henry would not be denied.

His disciplined and skilled bowling display, in combination with a masterpiece of wicketkeeping from Tom Blundell, showed that the tourists were tactically and temperamentally better than their opponents.

After coughing up catches in the first test, NZ were much sounder at The Oval as their rivals caught the dropsies bug.

England were cornered into playing a debutant and a player whose one previous test came four years ago among their pace quartet, while Jofra Archer’s lack of red-ball fitness allowed NZ to race away early on day two.

In contrast, with Henry having recovered from the frightening back spasms that struck on day one at Lord’s, NZ had their first-choice pace group, also featuring Kyle Jamieson and Will O’Rourke following extended injury absences.

Another thing of beauty to emerge from Henry’s five wickets in 31 balls to end the encounter was that O’Rourke and Nathan Smith weren’t required to bowl, giving them extra rest ahead of the third test starting at Trent Bridge on Thursday night (NZ time).

England captain Ben Stokes, and fellow nightclub attendee Gus Atkinson are back in the fold for the final test. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith will return too, from paternity leave, and troublesome seamer Ollie Robinson is apparently fit again.

When New Zealand played the third test of their previous series in England, the home side were reveling in the honeymoon phase of the Stokes’ bromance with new coach Brendon McCullum. Chasing 296 in the fourth innings for victory at Headingley, they romped home in 54.2 overs with seven wickets to spare, and ‘Bazball’ was underway.

At Trent Bridge, the Black Caps can get revenge in their own measured manner.