England crashed to a humiliating defeat at the Oval after Matt Henry bagged 10 wickets in a Test for the first time in his career.
For the second year in a row they have lost here in the absence of their captain Ben Stokes, but in contrast to 2025 when they came within six runs of India in a dramatic finale in which Chris Woakes batted with his arm in a sling, this was a landslide margin of defeat.
Henry took just seven deliveries to begin the ugly demise as he nipped one back to pin interim England captain Joe Root on the pad.
Umpire Adrian Holdstock raised his finger and although Root reviewed for the second time in his innings of 77, there was no inside edge this time and the technology confirmed the ball would have struck leg stump flush.
Two balls later, one kept low and snuck past the defensive jab of Jofra Archer and within a flash England – 182 for five overnight – were 188 for seven.
This was not the first time a bowler with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps has embarrassed this England team following the work of Scott Boland and Michael Neser in last winter’s Ashes.
England collapsed in a heap on the final day to lose to New Zealand by 253 runs at the Oval
Matt Henry bowled sensationally as he took his second five-wicket haul of the match
Jofra Archer (above), Matt Fisher and Josh Tongue all fell for ducks on Sunday morning
It was a thumping victory for New Zealand to leave the series level at 1-1 ahead of the final Test
But even they did not hurry through England’s lower order as quickly as the 34-year-old Henry, who found himself on a hat-trick in his next over, the fifth of the morning.
First, Matthew Fisher followed his first-innings 50 by chopping into his stumps for nought.
Then, with wicketkeeper Tom Blundell opting to stand back for the first time, an edge from Josh Tongue flew to first slip.
Debutant Jordan Cox negotiated the hat-trick ball at the start of the seventh, but Henry’s second five-wicket haul of the match meant it was just a matter of time before the result was confirmed.
But it was a chastening five days in south London for this inexperienced English team
England could have Ben Stokes back for the third Test after he was pulled out of Durham’s County Championship game against Northamptonshire on Sunday
In bowling Cox, round his legs sweeping, Henry wrapped up the 253-run thrashing and finished with personal figures of 11 for 109 – the best ever figures by a New Zealander against England, taking a record held by Dion Nash for the past 32 years.
England are now expected to welcome Stokes and seamer Gus Atkinson back off the naughty step – following their post-midnight activities after victory at Lord’s – for Thursday’s series decider in Nottingham, having withdrawn both players from ongoing County Championship fixtures.
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