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Despite a series of controversies outside the ground, Ben Stokes achieves another milestone as a seam bowling all-rounder during the ongoing England vs New Zealand 3rd Test at Trent Bridge.
By dismissing Mitchell Santner, Stokes becomes only the second player, after former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis, to claim 250 Test wickets with 7,000 runs.
Ben Stokes achieves a rare feat in the ongoing England vs New Zealand 3rd Test
A well-directed bumper off Ben Stokes takes a feather touch off the arm guard of the New Zealand batter on the last delivery of the 101st over of the first innings of the match. Jacob Bethell takes a dolly at Gully. New Zealand lost their 7th wicket for 413 runs. Mitchell Santer departed for 4 off 12.
Ben Stokes becomes only the second player, after Jacques Kallis, to combine 250 Test wickets with 7,000 runs. NZ 413 for 7, as Santner becomes his fourth victim.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 26, 2026
In the must-win match against New Zealand, Stokes is on song with the ball while most of the England bowlers have so far failed to impress. After Day 1, the visitors were in the driving seat with the opportunity to add more runs on the scoreboard. The opening pair of Tom Latham and Devon Conway provided a massive boost to the Blackcaps as Latham, the New Zealand skipper, got 151 and Conway claimed 157 to stitch a first-wicket stand of 317 runs.
New Zealand could have scored more after the blistering start
Due to the strong opening wicket partnership, New Zealand could have easily achieved a mammoth total in their first innings. On Day 2, the hosts have made a promising comeback by picking up wickets in short intervals. Mitchell Santner was Ben Stokes' fourth wicket of the innings so far. Tom Latham, Will O'Rourke, Daryl Mitchell, and lately, Mitchell Santner were the batters to fall against the England captain.
At the lunch break, New Zealand was 418 for 7 wickets. Along with Stokes' 4, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, and Joe Root have caught one wicket each so far.
Ben Stokes was doubtful for the third Test
The nightclub incident in London put Stokes' career in uncertainty. He and the pacer Gus Atkinson were dropped from the second Test because of the investigation process. Without the service of two key players, England suffered a heavy defeat. As New Zealand claimed the second after going down in the first of the three-match Test series, the third match becomes decisive. The winner of the ongoing match will be the winner of the series as well.
After the devastating Ashes 2025-26, England will have to push the paddle to make a strong statement by defeating the Kiwis. As New Zealand is already well over the 400-run mark and counting, the English batters will have to do a challenging task in their first innings. The result of the match will be massively dependent on how the batters of the home team performes in the first innings.
