- England managed only 234 in their second innings despite reaching 122-2.
- Jacob Bethell top-scored with 76 but missed out on a maiden Test century
- Tim Southee wins his last Test match for New Zealand
England ended their long year on a low when they fell to a crushing 423-run defeat in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Seddon Park, with Ben Stokes deciding not to bat as he nursed his hamstring soreness.
Half-centuries from Joe Root and Jacob Bethell, the third of a promising debut series, stopped the hosts on the fourth morning after England resumed at 18 for two. But a target of 658 meant defeat was a matter of when, not if.
The result provided at least some consolation to New Zealand, whose defeats in Christchurch and Wellington meant they had lost a home series to England for the first time in 16 years.
And it condemned Stokes’ team to their fourth defeat in the final match of a Test series in 2024, a mixed year in which they won three series of five and nine games of 17.
The day began with the news that Stokes would wait until the end of the game before undergoing a scan on his left hamstring, having limped off on the third afternoon.
In his absence, England fought hard for the first hour and a half, only to fold after lunch, and their last four fell for 19. It was their fourth-heaviest run defeat in their history.
Jacob Bethell top-scored for England with 76 as they were badly beaten in the third Test.
Ollie Pope was attempting a reverse shovel when England’s batting collapsed once again.
Batting looked easy for Bethell and Root, despite a poor fall by Tom Latham at second slip when Root, on 19, edged Tim Southee.
Both batsmen put up half-centuries (Bethell from 62 balls, Root from 59) before Root missed a sweep against Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin and was out lbw in review for 54. He ends his Test year with 1,556 runs, more than nobody in the world.
Not for the first time in the game, New Zealand fast bowler Will O’Rourke went into overdrive against Harry Brook. In the first innings he had bowled him for a golden duck. Now touching 95 mph, he got Daryl Mitchell caught at first slip for a single, and celebrated with justified enthusiasm.
Bethell looked on course for a maiden hundred after beating O’Rourke, only to bowl the first ball of a new Southee spell into the hands of Glenn Phillips at deep square and behind, and trudge on for 76. It was a disappointing finish for another promising innings, but his success on this trip has presented England with a difficult decision to make when they resume Test cricket, against Zimbabwe in May.
For Southee, it would be number 391 and the last of his long and decorated Test career. He has limped across the finish line in recent weeks, but he said goodbye with a victory at home, a moment that many do not enjoy.
Harry Brook looking for a golden duck at Will O’Rourke’s bowling alley
England captain Ben Stokes did not come out to bat following his hamstring injury.
Gus Atkinson hit some shots to reach 43 in the afternoon sun, but Ollie Pope lost his off-stump trying to ramp Matt Henry, one of England’s worst shots of the year, and the tail succumbed to Santner.
England were out for 234, but the game had been lost on the second afternoon, when O’Rourke was too threatening for the cream of their middle order, and Stokes’ team staggered to 143.
Now, as they prepare to fly home for Christmas, they await news on their captain’s physical condition.
It has been a year of ups and downs for the Test team, with the occasional collapse brought on by the rejuvenation of crucial parts of the team. But with five-match series ahead against India and Australia, 2025 will be the year that defines them.