How the Black Caps pulled off their bravest victory in 2-1 test series triumph over England
Tuesday, 30 June 2026
ANALYSIS: The test series whitewash in India at the end of 2024 was an unexpected delight.
This come-from-behind series victory in England felt like overdue revenge; a catharsis, a climb of Everest, a boxing bout where the pummelled pugilist gets the knockout his bravery deserved.
With the series poised on a precipice, it appeared the Black Caps would be the ones to fall when Matt Henry and Glenn Phillips were ruled out of the final test with injury, while Kyle Jamieson was unavailable for selection as care was taken over his return to the test arena.
Yet what followed was a battle for supremacy which the hardened New Zealand team relished. During the five days they lost combatants; Blair Tickner with concussion, Ben Sears briefly to a broken finger, Will O'Rourke to a similar blow, before his hamstring also sent him from the field.
Prior to the second test at The Oval, NZ had lost seven of their last nine tests versus England. They had been overpowered and at times seemingly cowed by ‘Bazball’, unable to find the right way to respond to opposition coach Brendon McCullum’s often frenzied methods which left the Black Caps frazzled.
They found a way by adhering to the basics of good test cricket - measured, applied batting; controlled, consistent bowling and a reduction in fielding errors.
Yet this wasn’t ‘Blockball’, trying to bore England into self-destruction - NZ scored at more than four runs an over in each innings at The Oval. There were moments of wise aggression, combined with a fierce desire to rectify recent shortcomings against these foes. Defeat on a dicey Lord’s pitch was followed by back to back wins - the clincher by a decisive 160 runs.
At Trent Bridge, Daryl Mitchell exemplified the fight required to turn test series by taking short balls that leapt off a length from fast bowler Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes on his body, responding only to the agonising barrage with a smile.
His unbeaten century in the second innings - scored in the same week as the death of Bob Blair reminded us of a far older story of courage - will grow in stature over the years due to its bravery and importance.
NZ also had Nathan Smith, nagging away at the top of off stump, a Gen Z Ewen Chatfield. And Zak Foulkes, who sat in the pavilion at No 7 on the pace bowling depth charts and then took six wickets in the series-clincher as a concussion sub.
While the hosts were notably weakened by their staffing woes in the second test (when captain Stokes and Gus Atkinson were stood down for their post-Lord’s night out), the Black Caps didn’t plug gaps in Nottingham, they brought in excellence instead.
Egos were left in kit bags by the quicks as wicketkeeper Tom Blundell stood up to the stumps to nullify the strengths of key batters Joe Root and Harry Brook.
And there were moments of brilliance to finish England off, as Nicholls and Mitchell Santner produced run-outs of barely-believable calibre.
Added up, it meant that history did repeat. Twenty-seven years after scoring a 2-1 win in England (across four tests), New Zealand became the first side to come from 1-0 down and defeat England in a three-test series.
As England experienced three weeks in a leaky boat, the visitors steadied the ship after a first-test loss at Lord’s to emerge as convincing victors, despite being shorn of their best batter, Kane Williamson, and best bowler, Henry, for almost two-thirds of the series.
Williamson played the first test before deciding that the desire which helped make him this country’s greatest batter was no longer present.
His retirement during a small break between tests at Lord’s and The Oval in London was almost swamped by the controversy surrounding Stokes.
On return after missing the second test, Stokes bizarrely announced his retirement from international cricket on day four, and then attempted to sign off with a starring role as promoted opener.
Not this time, the Black Caps said, as they likely sent Bazball into retirement by their own bold, brave actions.
With the ‘golden generation’ side - which claimed the inaugural World Test Championship title among their honours; starring Williamson, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Tim Southee and Trent Boult - undergoing change, expectations could have understandably been lowered.
Yet as the guardianship of the squad turned from Gary Stead to Rob Walter, the quiet achievers continue to make a noise, and has now allowed delighted fans to start dreaming about the possibility of something even more stunning in Australia this summer.