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England signed off 2024 with a chastening 423-run defeat against New Zealand in Hamilton, with injured captain Ben Stokes not fit enough to go down with the ship.
Faced with a gargantuan chase of 658 and with the series already secured, England faded away for 234 on the fourth afternoon, finishing nine down as Stokes opted not to risk aggravating his hamstring problems by chasing a lost cause.
He watched his team slump to the fourth highest runs defeat in English history from behind a pair of sunglasses and is set to undergo a scan before leaving the country to determine the severity of his latest setback.
England have made it plain they dislike the concept of a ‘dead rubber’ in international cricket but, having already secured the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy with handsome victories in Christchurch and Wellington, there are at least mitigating circumstances for a major misfire like this.
They end the year with nine wins and eight losses from their exhausting programme of 17 Tests, with three series wins and two losses – a tally which accurately reflects an up-and-down journey for a team in the early stages of transition.
The biggest show of resistance came from one of the fresh-faced youngsters they have introduced, 21-year-old Jacob Bethell hitting a stylish 76 in the morning session to bow out of his maiden tour on a high note.
He has hit half-centuries in all three Tests against the Black Caps, confirming his rare promise in an unfamiliar position, although all three have come in the second innings with the tone of the game well established.
With Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope both struggling, his name will continue to attract plenty more attention.
A maiden first-class century appeared to be calling Bethell, but he instead became the final wicket in Tim Southee’s distinguished career.
The veteran seamer retired at the end the match, taking the youngster’s scalp with him as a leaving present.
England did not linger long after the lunch break, losing their last three wickets in the space of 12 deliveries as they decided to embrace the inevitable.
England’s position could hardly have been more grim at the start of play, both openers having fallen in a chaotic six-over burst on the third evening and an inconceivably big target still in front of them.
But the scale of the challenge appeared to have a liberating effect on Bethell. He timed the ball sweetly from the off, reeling off a flurry of early boundaries.
Matt Henry, the man responsible for thoroughly wrecking Crawley’s tour, found himself targeted as Bethell launched him over the top for four then rocked back and pulled him for six over mid-wicket. The game situation may have lacked jeopardy, but there was no denying the stylishness of the strokeplay.
After 10 overs, England had padded their total with 61 carefree runs but New Zealand had time, and scoreboard pressure, on their side.
Root was dropped in the slips off Southee on 19 but joined Bethell in chalking up a fifty to end a year that has seen him lead the global statistics with 1,556 runs and six centuries.
After a 104-run stand with Bethell, he surprisingly fell to his old faithful sweep shot, slightly misreading the length to fall lbw to a ball that gripped off the surface.
Will O’Rourke surely shared the credit having unsettled the batters with an intimidating spell that saw him repeatedly clear 90mph and he got his just rewards moments later as he made light work of Harry Brook.
Fresh from the first golden duck of his international career, Brook swiped manically at his fourth ball and was comprehensively undone by his sixth. Steaming in, O’Rourke got one to rise violently and take the shoulder of Brook’s bat as he raised it defensively.
Bethell was next, aiming a lavish swing at the first ball of a new Southee spell and skying a toe-ender high to give the hometown hero a 391st, and final, scalp.
Pope wore a nasty blow on the right biceps as O’Rourke continued a fiery spell, topping out at a venomous 95mph and confirming his status as a rising star.
England’s resolve evaporated at the start of the afternoon as they lost their last four wickets for 19 runs. Pope surrendered his wicket by attempting a reverse ramp shot and losing his off stump to Henry, a feckless demise if ever there was one, and the tail folded swiftly.
Gus Atkinson got some big hits away but joined Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts in gifting their wickets to Santner as he invited England to fall on their sword.
Stokes remain motionless in front of the dressing room, wisely protecting himself in a situation not even he could salvage.
