Daryl Mitchell ton draws Black Caps close to test series win as England captain Ben Stokes announces retirement
Monday, 29 June 2026
Third test, Trent Bridge: New Zealand 438 and 288-9 declared (Daryl Mitchell 100 not out, Rachin Ravindra 94; Jofra Archer 4-53) vs England 354 and 103-4 (Zak Foulkes 3-42). Click here for full scoreboard.
Having seen off England’s captain, the Black Caps may yet also bring about the end of their former skipper’s current job, on their way to a test series victory.
At stumps on a gripping, at times barely believable penultimate day of the third and final test at Trent Bridge, New Zealand were left needing another six wickets to claim victory in the match and the three-game series.
They got grit and grind from century-maker Daryl Mitchell and his tail-order team-mates to maintain their position of dominance, then on a day when Ben Stokes’ retirement announcement overpowered proceedings, kept their heads to close in on just their second win in a test series of three or more matches in England.
Should Tom Latham’s team achieve victory on the final day, it could also spell the end of Brendon McCullum’s reign as England coach, due to the fallout from another series loss and the controversy surrounding Stokes being forced to miss the second test, after the former NZ test captain survived a pointed review into his team’s humbling failure at last summer’s Ashes.
While England - with Stokes opening the batting in their pursuit of 373 to win after Latham declared at 288-9 - were all bluster and bravado, the visitors applied themselves with their renowned diligence, led by Mitchell’s sixth test ton.
On a wearing pitch, Mitchell took a series of blows to the body - mostly from the bowling of Stokes, who again assumed main character influence by announcing his retirement from international cricket before tea.
While Rachin Ravindra made a fluent 94 in an essential partnership worth 129 for the fourth wicket, Mitchell refused to give in to the hosts and got dogged support from Zak Foulkes and Ben Sears.
Needing to accelerate his innings while running out of batting partners, Mitchell put on 50 from 58 balls with No.10 Sears, who had to leave the crease with an injured finger before returning when tailender Will O’Rourke was out to help Mitchell reach his century from 241 balls.
Stokes then came out as opener and blazed away in hyper-Bazball mode, getting to 30 from 20 deliveries before becoming the first of three victims for Foulkes, who had to bowl earlier than planned after O’Rourke bloodied a finger in attempting to catch a blistering straight drive from Stokes.
The England skipper’s team-mates got caught up in the frenzy surrounding him, or were following leadership guidance in their all-or-nothing pursuit, as vice-captain Harry Brook (21 from nine balls) threw his wicket away in a breathless 15 overs to begin their second innings.
Sears, bowling with a bandaged finger, produced a ripper to get rid of opener Ben Duckett just before stumps, and O’Rourke should be available to join the fray on the final day to assist the Black Caps in their hunt for the remaining six wickets.
Match situation and what to expect on day five
Batting has been chiefly difficult since day one due to the effects of the sun and heat.
A target of 373 was going to need something special from the hosts to reach, and once Stokes and Brooks perished in kamikaze fashion, NZ firmed further in favouritism.
If they can remove Joe Root and Emilio Gay early in the first session tonight (NZ time), they may have most of the afternoon to celebrate a 2-1 series triumph.
Stat of the day
Can I play you every week?
Daryl Mitchell’s sixth test century continued his love affair with batting in tests in England.
In seven tests there, Mitchell has amassed 779 runs at an average of 70.81 - his test career average is a healthy 43.05.
The son of former All Blacks and current England women’s rugby coach John Mitchell has made four centuries and three fifties in England.
What they said
“It was a bit of a shock.”
Rachin Ravindra said the Black Caps camp found out about Stokes’ retirement via the TV in their rooms in the pavilion.
“It's cool to say you're involved in Stokes' final test match and I guess that the crowd were up and about and made it quite a spectacle. It was pure entertainment.”
The left-hander, who came close to making his sixth test ton, said he wasn’t surprised however by England’s approach to their fourth-innings run chase.
“It's their method and it's what they thought they'd find success on that wicket. That's the way they play, and we play a different style of cricket and, you know, each to its own.”
He had huge praise for Mitchell’s gutsy ton.
“Darryl's just that team-mate that you want, he's up for the fight.
“He's intense when he's batting, the most competitive guy there is, and I think those blows probably get him fizzed up, get the adrenaline and get the juices flowing. He played brilliantly today and I'm super proud of his work.”