Duckett Hits 113 and Stokes Takes 4 as England Closes on 223-2

Q: From 317 without loss to a stunning collapse: Was it Ben Stokes's genius or a New Zealand meltdown?

It was both, but the decisive factor was Ben Stokes forcing the collapse rather than New Zealand simply imploding on their own. New Zealand’s slide from 317 without loss to 438 all out was too sharp to dismiss as routine. They lost 10 wickets for 121 runs, including the last six for 46, after Tom Latham and Devon Conway had completely controlled day one. That scale of collapse inevitably reflects a batting failure to reset after the first breakthrough. But Stokes was the clear catalyst. He broke the 317-run opening stand late on day one, then returned with a fierce eight-over spell on Friday morning worth 3-13. He removed Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke and Mitchell Santner, and finished with 4-70. His spell changed the tempo, exposed the middle and lower order, and gave England belief in oppressive 35C heat. Shoaib Bashir then helped finish the job with 2-105. There was also an element of disorder from New Zealand. Once the openers were separated, the innings unraveled quickly and they failed to build around their strong platform. Santner’s dismissal, upheld on review despite debate over whether the ball hit glove or arm guard, added controversy, but it does not explain the broader collapse. So this was not just a New Zealand meltdown, and not just Stokes brilliance in isolation. It was Stokes creating the pressure and New Zealand failing badly under it. England earned the turnaround; New Zealand made it worse.

Q: Did a controversial DRS call on a wristband flick truly turn the tide in the series decider?

No. The DRS decision was a flashpoint, but the evidence does not support it as the single moment that turned the series decider. The controversy came when Mitchell Santner was given out after Ben Stokes’ short ball looped to gully. Santner reviewed, believing it had hit only his arm guard, but third umpire Adrian Holdstock upheld the catch on the basis that the ball had brushed the wristband, which counts as part of the bat under ICC playing conditions. Later television angles appeared to cast doubt on whether there had been any contact with the wristband, which is why the decision drew so much debate. Even so, the match swung because of a broader sequence, not one review alone. New Zealand had already collapsed from 317 without loss to 438 all out, losing their last six wickets for 46. Stokes’ spell was central to that, and Shoaib Bashir helped finish the innings. England then counterattacked through Ben Duckett’s 113 off 99 balls and a 179-run stand with Jacob Bethell, closing on 223-2. That makes the Santner decision significant, but not decisive on its own. It removed a lower-order batter and gave Stokes his 250th Test wicket, yet England’s revival was driven more by sustained bowling pressure, New Zealand’s late collapse, and England’s aggressive reply. In news terms, it was a controversial moment within the turnaround, not clear proof of the moment that truly changed the match.

3 articles · Updated · Sky Sports · Jun 26

England ended day two at 223-2, still 215 behind New Zealand’s 438, after Ben Duckett’s 113 off 99 and an unbroken stand between Jacob Bethell, 74 not out, and Joe Root, 22 not out.
Ben Stokes drove the turnaround earlier with 4-70, including a fierce 3-13 morning spell and his 250th Test wicket, as New Zealand collapsed from 317-0 late on day one to all out.
Duckett’s counterattack came after a reprieve on eight, with his 88-ball century and 19 boundaries helping England race at better than six an over in favorable batting conditions.
New Zealand’s task was complicated by Blair Tickner’s concussion after a blow to the head while batting, forcing Zak Foulkes into the attack for the rest of the match.
The series decider at Trent Bridge remains finely poised, but England has rebuilt from a position where the match looked to be slipping away.