England vs New Zealand: Ben Stokes’ side stumbles to series defeat on day three at Trent Bridge | cricket news

England lost their grip in the third Test against New Zealand, and possibly the series, as the Black Caps improved on a thrilling third day of play that saw them lose 11 wickets at Trent Bridge.

A ferocious Jofra Archer (2-14) spell reduced New Zealand to 12-2 in their second innings, leading by just 96, but Rachin Ravindra’s (No 60) brilliant fifty put the visitors back on top for 204 at 120-3.

England started the day with the bat and hopes of building a big first innings lead but instead saw New Zealand bowled out for 84 runs as their overnight score was 223-2 to 354 all out.

Much like when England claimed New Zealand’s last six wickets for just 46 on the second morning, some disciplined bowling from the visitors at the start of the third day brought the momentum back in their favour.

After being baked by the sun on the first two days the pitch now offered more seam movement and variable bounce, with Nathan Smith (4-91) and Nathan O’Rourke (3-53) accounting for set batsmen Joe Root (21) and Jacob Bethel (74) in successive overs, neither adding to the overnight score.

Jamie Smith (1) quickly returned to the pavilion with them – three wickets fell in the opening six overs – after an umpire review that carried his edged drive from Nathan Smith to Daryl Mitchell at slip, which warranted a replay.

Harry Brook (58) and Ben Stokes (15) began to rebuild the innings, although the skipper’s poor form with the bat continued as he came close to being caught at gully for one, only to get the ball to Devon Conway who did well to get a fingertip to it.

Brooke and Stokes put on 56 together to briefly take the sting out of things until, suddenly, Stokes was undone by a brutal nip-backer from Jack Fowlkes (3-35), who had impressed heavily after being brought on as a substitute for Blair Tickner the previous evening.

Brook scored a 66-ball fifty just before lunch, but he too was knocked off stump by Foulkes shortly after the break – leaving England seven wickets down and still nearly 116 in arrears.

Gus Atkinson (23) and Archer (15) ate a touch into that deficit, each benefiting from a dismissal – Ben Sears’ miss off Atkinson at mid-on a certain howler – before they too fell foul of some wicked bowling.

Archer prevented a snorter from Smith from slipping, while Atkinson’s O’Rourke had a more tentative prod to Mitchell, but it came as a brutal hit of the delivery rapped him into the gloves.

Once Fowlkes claimed Josh Tongue (2) to end the innings, a dismissed Archer looked to have firmly brought England back into the contest as he quickly accounted for Tom Latham (4) and Conway (5) in the first five overs, the same openers who managed 150-plus in their first partnership against hosting New Zealand’s 317.

Archer’s dismissal of Conway was particularly striking, a flat-footed feint just minutes into a delivery brute up a length and hitting him on the helmet.

Such misbehavior from the surface will have England fearing a lot of chasing on days four and five, although things looked to have leveled off again as Ravindra and Mitchell (No. 26) closed on an unbroken 69 for the fourth wicket.

Atkinson claimed England’s third, Henry Nicholls, nicked one to the relieved Brook at slip, who had failed to dive for an almost identical edge from Nicholls in Tonga’s previous over.

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