England vs New Zealand, Live Score, 3rd Test Match, New Zealand in England, 2026

Ben Stokes to Tom Latham, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Midas continues and Midas eventually strikes! Ben Stokes roars but it is not just a roar in delight. It is a roar of some other feeling. A roar of a warrior, who has just won a war. After 432 legal balls, the local fans have finally seen a wicket fall on the 433rd. Slightly short, outside off, Tom Latham goes for the cut, but for once, does not move his feet. He slashes hard and only manages a thick outside edge and this time, the keeper, Jamie Smith, makes no mistake. Latham is disappointed with that shot and the partnership is finally broken on 317. THE THIRD HIGHEST OPENING STAND EVER FOR NEW ZEALAND, just 71 runs shy of becoming the best ever. That record still belongs to Terry Jarvis and Glenn Turner, who had ransacked 387 runs against West Indies in Georgetown, 1972.

Joe Root to Devon Conway, OUT! CAUGHT! Just like that, both are the openers are gone! After toiling hard for 432 deliveries, England have got two wickets in 7 deliveries. We go by the cliched saying in Tests - 'One brings two.' Tossed up, outside off, Devon Conway comes down the track and looks to go over the top. However, he is not to the pitch of the ball and miscues it. Substitute Matthew Fisher races to his left from wide long on and slides across nicely to take the catch. Conway is disappointed but one just feels that he is cramping up badly. While walking up the stairs to the pavillion, he is just kind of feeling his wrists. Nevertheless, a marathon knock in trying conditions. Some joy for England, as from 317/0, NEW ZEALAND ARE NOW 319/2!

Jofra Archer to Henry Nicholls, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Once again, 1 brings 2 for England, with both set batters dismissed and all of a sudden, the scorecard paints a different picture! With that, it will also be STUMPS ON DAY 1! A length ball, outside off, Henry Nicholls pushes at it but the ball finds a sharp lift and away movement. Nicholls tries to get his bat out of the way but cannot and the ball just about grazes the outside edge. The keeper, Jamie Smith, collects and celebrates with Archer too, bringing out his 'C' celebration. FROM 361/2, NEW ZEALAND ARE NOW 361/4!

Gus Atkinson to Rachin Ravindra, OUT! CAUGHT! Puzzling. Very puzzling shot from Rachin Ravindra, clearly stating his immaturity. That long break on the previous ball has gone against him and his team. Banged in short, outside off, Ravindra decides to take it on and goes for the pull. But he is done in by pace and only manages a top edge. The ball goes straight up the chimney and the keeper, Jamie Smith, stands his ground and takes it calmly! All the English players charge around Shoaib Bashir because had it not been for his fielding effort, Ravindra would not have been on strike! The 42-run stand has been broken and NEW ZEALAND ARE 361/3!

Ben Stokes to Will O'Rourke, OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Dear me, that was an ordinary shot. After playing so well, Will O'Rourke's patience runs out and Stokes has three to his name now. Stokes bangs it almost halfway down the pitch, around off with a decent bit of lift from the deck. Will O'Rourke gets into an awkward position but still tries to hack it over the leg side. Only manages to get a thick top edge that flies up the chimney. Emilio Gay at backward point settles under it and takes a simple catch. England making slow and steady inroads as from 317/0, New Zealand are now 393/6.

Ben Stokes to Daryl Mitchell, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! A huge appeal for caught behind, but it's turned down by the umpire. Ben Stokes seems very confident and he's gone for the review. It is a peach of a delivery to begin with. Just a smidge fuller and outside off, straightening down the line. Daryl Mitchell gets halfway forward to push at it but gets beaten past the outside edge and straight into the mitts of Jamie Smith behind the stumps. There was a certain noise and the third umpire confirms with UltraEdge that there is an edge on it. The on-field decision is overturned but Mitchell doesn't seem too pleased with it. New Zealand are 392/5.

Shoaib Bashir to Tom Blundell, OUT! LBW! Bashir strikes again, and this one is as plumb as they come. Two in the over for him. Coming from around the wicket, he fires in a very full delivery around leg stump. Blundell shapes for the reverse, but plays all around it and wears it flush on the left toe. England go up in a confident appeal, and the finger goes up straightaway. Blundell sends it upstairs, hoping for a miracle. UltraEdge confirms there is no bat involved. Ball Tracking takes its time before appearing, but the verdict is in England's favour. Impact in line, and the ball is crashing into the stumps. Blundell has to make the long walk back and New Zealand are 435/9.

Ben Stokes to Mitchell Santner, OUT! CAUGHT! Another wicket for Stokes, number 4 for the English skipper and this could well be the game-changing spell. Short ball on the stumps, hurrying onto the batter with steep bounce. Santner flinches away and hangs his hands up high. The ball catches something on the way through and flies to second slip, where a clean catch is taken. The fielders go up, Nitin Menon raises the finger, but Santner is convinced it has come off his arm and reviews straightaway. The TV umpire goes to the replays and after checking the UltraEdge, rules that it has clipped the sweatband on the right glove. England's appeal is upheld. Santner can only shake his head with a wry smile. Mitchell Santner falls and New Zealand are 413/7 down now.

Shoaib Bashir to Nathan Smith, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Bashir has his man, and there is a touch of redemption about it after putting down Blundell earlier. As the old saying goes, you do not drop your own catches, and this time he makes sure of it. He tosses one up, full and on off, tempting Smith into the big shot down the ground. Smith obliges but fails to get to the pitch of the ball, mistiming the loft completely. The ball loops straight back towards the bowler, who fumbles at the first attempt but gathers safely on the second. Bashir picks up his first wicket of the match, breaks the 21-run stand, and New Zealand are 434/8.

Jofra Archer to Ben Sears, OUT! PLUMB IN FRONT! Archer finishes it off in style. Charging in, he clocks 138 kph and spears in a very full delivery, right in line with the stumps. Sears had just watched his partner fend off a few hostile bouncers, so the short ball is clearly on his mind. He stays rooted on the back foot, expecting another bumper, but Archer cleverly goes full. By the time Sears realises it, he has very little chance to adjust. He tries to whip it away, misses completely, and is struck flush on the pads. England appeal in unison, and the finger goes up. Sears reviews more in hope than expectation. UltraEdge confirms there is no bat, while Ball Tracking has everything lined up, with the ball crashing into the stumps. New Zealand are bowled out for 438, and Archer signs off with a peach to wrap up the innings.

Nathan Smith to Ben Duckett, OUT! CHOPPED ON! At last, Lady Luck smiles on New Zealand on Friday. Duckett and Bethell have been flirting with their luck quite a few number of times in this innings and at long last, it has frowned on one of them. On a length, outside off, with Smith dragging the length back just a fraction after the half volley on the previous ball, Duckett looks to guide it towards backward point, but does not move his feet. As a result, a bottom edge is generated and for once, it goes and hits the stumps. Duckett looks at the heavens as the Kiwis celebrate the breaking of the 179-RUN STAND. Probably a tired shot as well, with so much heat around. ENGLAND ARE 187/2 AND TRAIL NEW ZEALAND BY 251 RUNS.

Will O'Rourke to Emilio Gay, OUT! STRANGLED DOWN THE LEG SIDE! And just like that, the Kiwis have their first breakthrough. It took England 72.1 overs to get their first. New Zealand have got theirs in the eleventh ball. Will bashes the length hard, and slants it down the leg side, generating a decent lift off the surface. Emilio Gay gets inside the line to nudge it around the corner, but is undone by the extra bounce and pace perhaps. Gets a thin edge behind and Tom Blundell takes a simple catch behind the stumps. New Zealand appeal as one and up goes the finger. Gay throws his head backwards in disappointment and walks without reviewing. England are 8/1, trailing by 430 runs.

Will O'Rourke to Jacob Bethell, OUT! CAUGHT! New Zealand are right on top here. Will O'Rourke angles a good length delivery across the left-hander, just outside off. Bethell barely moves his feet and goes fishing well inside the line, flirting with danger. This time, there is no escape. The outside edge is found, and Tom Latham makes no mistake at second slip with a safe pair of hands. England are sinking deeper into trouble. It is New Zealand's second wicket in the space of seven balls, and they have stormed back into the contest in emphatic fashion. The deficit still stands at 214 runs, and the pressure is mounting.

Nathan Smith to Joe Root, OUT! GIVEN LBW! New Zealand have an early breakthrough, and they are up in celebration. This is a clever piece of bowling. A 130 kph delivery on a good length around off, nipping back sharply off the seam. With the keeper standing up to the stumps, Root has little room to shuffle or use his feet. He stays rooted in the crease, brings the bat down in defense, but the movement is just enough to beat the inside edge and thud into the front pad. The appeal is instant, and so is the raised finger. Root goes upstairs. UltraEdge confirms there is no bat, and Ball Tracking shows the ball is clipping the leg stump. It is umpire's call, so the on-field decision stands. A huge wicket for New Zealand. England are three down and still trail by 214 runs.

Zakary Foulkes to Harry Brook, OUT! TIMBER! Zakary Foulkes produces an absolute ripper. Scrambled seam ball by Foulkes, on a length, landing in line with the off stump. With the keeper being up to the stumps, Brook is caught in the crease and pushes out in front of his body with a straight bat. The ball angles in before straightening off the deck to beat Harry on the outside edge. It goes through to crash into the off stump. A disconsolate Brook trudges off. England are now 322/7, trailing by 116 runs.

Nathan Smith to Jamie Smith, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Nathan wins the battle of Smiths. The pressure continues to mount on England, and New Zealand have another one. Smith sticks to his disciplined, stump-to-stump line, giving Jamie Smith very little room to free his arms. He angles in a 133 kph length ball around off, and the batter hangs back, pushing at it with soft and uncertain hands. The outside edge is found, and it flies towards first slip. The catch is dipping on Daryl Mitchell, who does well to get low and pouch it cleanly. The on-field umpires send it upstairs for a quick check, and the replays confirm it is a fair catch. New Zealand have their third wicket of the morning, and England's troubles deepen. From 224/2, they are now 234/5. They still trail by 204 runs.

Zakary Foulkes to Ben Stokes, OUT! BOWLED! That is a massive wicket for New Zealand and the concussion substitute has made a massive impact this morning. There is nothing much Stokes could have done about this delivery. A wobbly seam ball, pitched on a length outside off. Ben Stokes looks to punch it through the covers, without moving his feet. The ball lands and then nips back in sharply, right through the gap between bat and pad, finding the timber. Stokes has a wry smile on his face, as Foulkes celebrates. The only thing he could have done is moved his feet a little bit to close the gap, that's all. The 56-run stand has been broken and ENGLAND ARE 290/6, TRAILING BY 148. 

Will O'Rourke to Gus Atkinson, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Wicket number 3 for Will O'Rourke. Looks like the previous ball put off Atkinson's concentration as he batted really well. On a back of a length, just outside off, rearing up a bit from the surface and moving in late. Gus Atkinson has a tentative poke at it. Could have easily left that one, but gets a thick edge behind to the first slip. Another catching practice for Daryl Mitchell at first slip. England are 354/9, trailing by 84 runs.

Nathan Smith to Jofra Archer, OUT! CAUGHT AT FIRST SLIP! A snorter from Smith as Archer perishes. This one prodigiously kicks up after landing on a crack, on a good length, just outside off. Jofra Archer is completely flummoxed by the extra lift off the deck. He gets squared up and tries to block it down the pitch, but the ball clips the gloves and pops back to Daryl Mitchell at first slip, who makes no mistake. England are 350/8, trailing by 88 runs.

Zakary Foulkes to Josh Tongue, OUT! CAUGHT! That's all over for the hosts. The Kiwis have bounced back nicely in the game. England have been bowled out on 354. New Zealand secure a lead of 84 runs. Short and into the body, and Tongue shapes to whip the ball off the pads, but gets it chipped away, and the ball lobs high off the edge of the bat. Santner at short square leg moves in, dives forward and gets both hands underneath to complete the catch. Foulkes, the concussion sub for New Zealand, finishes off impressively with a three-for.

Jofra Archer to Tom Latham, OUT! LBW! Jofra Archer draws first blood in the very first over. He angles the ball into the batter, on a fuller length and gets it to straighten off the deck. Tom Latham goes for a flick, but plays over the wrong line and is struck hard on the back pad. Archer does not even bother to appeal and is off for a celebratory run, confident enough that he has his man. Rod Tucker eventually raises his finger, and Latham walks without reviewing. A marathon 317-run stand in the first innings, but the Kiwi opening pair lasts just 6 balls this time around. New Zealand are 4/1, leading by 88 runs.

Jofra Archer to Devon Conway, OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT! Archer continues to torment the batters, and just like that, both the Kiwi openers are back in the hut. Hits the deck very hard, around off and gets the ball to rear up from the surface. Devon Conway hops on the toes to block, but the ball gets big on him, and he gets into a bit of a tangle while playing at it, perhaps not expecting the ball to do that much. Gets it edged behind to Joe Root at first slip. New Zealand are 12/2, leading by 96 runs.

Gus Atkinson to Henry Nicholls, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN BY BROOK! This time, he makes no mistake and redeems himself from the previous chance. Almost an action replay of 13.1. This time, Gus hits the hard length and gets it to lift from the deck, around off. Henry Nicholls pokes at it and gets a fat outside edge which flies to the right of the first slip fielder. Harry Brook is alert enough this time and takes a fine catch by getting a bit low. The hosts have their tails up now. New Zealand are 51/3, leading by 135 runs.

Shoaib Bashir to Rachin Ravindra, OUT! LBW! Stokes' inspirational change works again and Bashir strikes moments before Lunch! Excellent delivery from Bashir, bowling the arm ball, from around the wicket. It is just short of full and Rachin Ravindra opts to work it to the leg side off the back foot. The ball lands, skids on, goes past the bat and hits him on the pads. The bowler knows he has got his man and straightaway starts to celebrating, before appealing shortly after for LBW. The umpire raises his finger and England rejoice. Ravindra though, takes the review but the UltraEdge detects that the ball has missed the bat and skidded through to hit the pad. And Ball Tracking now loads up to project the ball hitting the leg stump! The roar of the crowd continues as the 129-RUN STAND IS FINALLY BROKEN. Don't know whether the thought of getting to his century before the break was playing on Ravindra's mind, as he slowly walks up the stairs to the dressing room. NEW ZEALAND ARE 180/4 AND LEAD BY 264.

Jofra Archer to Tom Blundell, OUT! CAUGHT! Archer breaks through for England. Counter-attacking gets the better of Blundell. Archer keeps bowling short and Blundell keeps going after it. This is just outside off and the batter swivels for the pull. But there is more pace and bounce on this one and hence, the batter is not in control of his shot. Gets more height than distance and Emilio Gay, stationed specifically for that shot, takes it nicely moving to his right. Archer picks up his 3rd wicket and from 180/3, NEW ZEALAND ARE NOW 204/5. The lead is very healthy, reading 288.

Ben Stokes to Mitchell Santner, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! What a sensational review from England! On a good length, outside off, Mitchell Santner poked at it, but seemed to miss it. Now, the keeper appealed for the catch but the bowler was not too interested and neither did the umpire uphold the appeal. Stokes was happy to get back to his bowling mark but someone convinced him to take the review, asserting that there was a definite noise. Eventually, Stokes gave in, signalling for the review, but was not too convinced himself. He was telling his mates that he did not hear a thing but when UltraEdge loads up, it detects a spike when the ball is close to the bat! Santner looks bemused as he believes that he did not hit it. But England are overjoyed as they have now got wickets in quick succession. 3/25 in the last 55 balls! NEW ZEALAND ARE 205/6 NOW, LEADING BY 289.

Jofra Archer to Nathan Smith, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Wickets are falling left, right and centre and Archer picks up his 4th wicket of the innings, and 6th for the match. Fractionally short of good length, outside off, Nathan Smith feels for it and gets a thick outside edge. The ball goes behind and the keeper, Jamie Smith, takes it easily and celebrates. FROM 180/3, NEW ZEALAND ARE NOW 206/7! They lead by 290.

Ben Stokes to Zakary Foulkes, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! And Stokes runs around in celebration, while the Trent Bridge goes wild! It seems like they just heard the news about Stokes' retirement and almost as if on cue, they get to see a wicket almost immediately! Who writes his scripts? On a shorter length, wide outside off, angling in, Zakary Foulkes looks to punch it through the off side but the ball pitches, nibbles away a touch and takes the outside edge. It flies low to second slip, where Harry Brook makes no mistake. Stokes runs around in celebration and the whole team runs along with him, trying to catch up with its skipper. The crowd is mad in frenzy and it just wants its son to go on and on. The partnership reads just 18 runs, but it consumed nearly 13 overs. NEW ZEALAND ARE 224/8 AND LEAD BY 308.

Gus Atkinson to Will O'Rourke, OUT! LBW! A fine nut from Gus Atkinson. He comes in from wide of the crease, over the wicket and bowls a length ball outside off. Will O'Rourke looks to play straight but plays down the wrong line, as he just misses the ball. It hits him on his pads and then deflects onto the off stump, but the bail does not fall. England appeal for LBW and the umpire raises his finger. O'Rourke is happy to walk off but Mitchell presses him to take the review, just in case, it turns to be not out and Sears can spend some more time in the dressing room. But UltraEdge shows that the ball hit the pad and missed the bat, while Ball Tracking projects three reds, with the ball hitting the off and middle sticks. Atkinson gets his second and NEW ZEALAND ARE 279/9, LEADING BY 363.

Ben Sears to Ben Duckett, OUT! EDGED AND TAKEN! Another nail in the coffin with Stumps still 7 minutes away. Sears strikes in his very first over. That bowling arm is doing well alright. On a good length, outside off, Ben Duckett looks to push at it. But the ball lands and suddenly rears up. Duckett is unable to adjust as he just about fends at it. The ball takes the shoulder of the bat and flies to fly slip, where Daryl Mitchell pockets the catch comfortably. Duckett looks at where the ball landed, before trudging off. The Kiwis continue to celebrate, with ENGLAND PACING FROM 50/0 TO 95/4! 278 runs still needed for the win. Decent knock by Duckett.

Zakary Foulkes to Ben Stokes, OUT! CAUGHT! The fun ends. There is hush at Trent Bridge, before the crowd rises as one for its beloved son. One last time, in international cricket. Going out with a bang. The Kiwi cricketers rush towards Stokes, and congratulate him, patting him on the back as well. He has gone out true to his nature, as a fierce warrior, competing and fighting till the very end. Coming to the ball, it was on a length, around middle and leg. Ben Stokes backed away once again, aiming to slog it out of the park. But he got it off the inner half of the bat and the ball flew towards mid on. Daryl Mitchell over there judged the catch nicely, going low to take it to his front. Stokes walks off disappointed, but it was a highly entertaining innings. ENGLAND ARE 50/1 AND NEED ANOTHER 323 RUNS TO WIN.

Zakary Foulkes to Jacob Bethell, OUT! LBW! Just like that, New Zealand have taken 2 wickets in an over. Massive misjudgement from Bethell. On a length, outside off, Jacob Bethell just planted his front foot across and shouldered arms. But he misread the line, or the length - one of the two, or both, perhaps. Because it was neither short to be left on length, nor wide enough to be left on line. It just came back in and hit him on the pads, making him a dead duck. New Zealand appealed and up went the umpire's finger. Bethell knew he was a goner, but still, challenged the decision. Ball Tracking shows it to be crashing into middle stump. A 4-ball duck for Bethell and from 50/0, ENGLAND ARE NOW 50/2!

Zakary Foulkes to Harry Brook, OUT! CAUGHT! A bit of madness, to be brutally honest. There is a Test match to be won here but the batters are simply throwing it away. On a length, around middle and leg, Harry Brook gets across and scoops it towards long leg. He has not got enough on it and Nathan Smith is patiently waiting for the ball to land in his lap. He takes it comfortably, on one knee and New Zealand are cock-a-hoop. Three wickets have fallen and all three have gone to Zakary Foulkes! The crowd has gone woefully silent and it is pretty understandable that no one is able to understand what is going on. ENGLAND HAVE LOST 3/22 IN THE SPAN OF 16 BALLS!

Nathan Smith to Jamie Smith, OUT! JOE ROOT IS RUN OUT! A direct hit, and Root starts walking back to the pavilion. That is an incredible piece of fielding from Nicholls. Angling in, on off, Jamie Smith stays back and taps it to the vacant gully region. He calls for a quick single. Henry Nicholls runs forward to his right from gully. He slides to his right, loses his footing while collecting the ball, but unleashes an accurate throw in a motion, hitting the bullseye at the batter's end as Root tries to slide the bat in a hurry. The umpire sends it upstairs to have a check, but Root knows he is in trouble as he starts walking back. The replays show that Joe Root was short by a fair margin. England have lost their main batter, and they are in deep trouble now.

Nathan Smith to Emilio Gay, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Nathan Smith troubled Emilio Gay in his previous over, and he gets his man eventually. Hard length, just outside off, and it shapes away at the very last moment. Emilio Gay stays in his crease, and he tries to block this but gets squared up, dangling the bat away from his body. The ball kisses the outside edge of Emilio Gay's bat and goes back towards the keeper. Tom Blundell dives to his left and takes a good catch. England are 116/5, needing 257 more runs to win.

Mitchell Santner to Jamie Smith, OUT! CAUGHT! That will do. A brilliant catch from Nathan Smith to finish things off. Mitchell Santner bowls a slightly slower one, on off, Jamie Smith winds up and tries to go big over long on. The ball hits the upper part of his bat and carries towards long on. Nathan Smith runs forward and to his left, dives forward and completes a magnificent low catch. New Zealand beat England by 160 runs.

Mitchell Santner to Gus Atkinson, OUT! LBW! Santner strikes now and breaks the budding 75-run partnership. Bowls an arm ball that drifts in naturally, a touch fuller and stays low. Gus Atkinson goes back in the crease and looks to cut it away, but is late on the shot and is undone by the lack of bounce and the ball thuds the front pad at shin height. Massive confident appeal for LBW and up goes the finger without any hesitation. Gus Atkinson has a chat with Jamie Smith before he opts to take the review, challenging the on-field decision. Looks stone-dead and there's a flat line on UltraEdge. Ball Tracking shows the impact is umpire's call, and the ball is projected to crash into the middle stump. Gus Atkinson makes a slow walk to the dressing room and England are 191/7.

Nathan Smith to Jofra Archer, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! That is the end of Jofra Archer. A bit of a tame way to go. Nathan Smith sees Jofra Archer coming down the track and bowls a back-of-a-length delivery, on off. Archer tries to get himself and his bat out of the way but gets very late in doing so. The ball nips in, grazes the outside edge of Jofra's dangled bat and goes towards the keeper, Tom Blundell, who makes no mistake. He takes a good low catch. England are 198/8, needing 175 runs to win. New Zealand now just need two wickets.

Nathan Smith to Josh Tongue, OUT! TONGUE IS RUN OUT! What a fantastic piece of fielding by Santner. New Zealand have been absolutely spot on with their ground fielding in this Test match. Back of a length, over the wicket, angling into middle and leg. Tongue works it with soft hands to the right of Santner at mid-wicket, and fancies a cheeky single. Santner swoops across, picks up cleanly, and fires at the striker's end. One stump to aim at. Hits it. Tongue, first runs casually, but gets sent back by Smith. He turns around, dives full stretch but he is short. The on-field umpires send it upstairs to have a check and the replay confirms that Josh is short of his crease. Tongue's jersey is covered in dirt as he makes a slow walk back to the dressing room. New Zealand have their ninth.