Ben Stokes defiance in vain as England are thrashed by New Zealand to extend winless run away from home
New Zealand 427-8 dec, England 58 & 320: The hosts marched to an innings and 49-run victory in Auckland inflicting a fifth defeat in six Tests this winter on Joe Root's side
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Your support makes all the difference.Battling final-day half-centuries from Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes were not enough to save England from an innings defeat in the opening pink-ball Test against New Zealand at Eden Park.
Joe Root’s side will now head to Christchurch for this week’s final Test seeking victory to square the series and return home from a miserable winter with at least some cause for optimism.
That’s a commodity that is in scant supply right now for England, this defeat their fifth in six Tests this winter and also the fifth by an innings in eight away matches.
While the 4-0 hammering by Australia in the Ashes was more of a slow, tortured death, with every match lasting five days, this Test would have been over long ago had it not been for the incessant rain on days two and three that wiped out 141 overs.
Indeed, the result of this match appeared inevitable from the moment England were bowled out for 58 inside the first session.
But even a helping hand from the elements couldn’t deny New Zealand a deserved victory by an innings and 49 runs that raises their hopes of a first Test series triumph against England since 1999.
Root and his players will have to dig deep in Christchurch to prevent that and they at least showed some resistance on the final day here following their embarrassing first-innings display.
But injuries to Root, who has bruising on his right index finger after he was hit by Trent Boult late on day four, and Stokes, whose back injury flared up again while batting on this final day, are a concern for England with just a three-day turnaround before the final Test.
I’m a little bit sore, you always worry about finger injuries but I'll be fine for the next Test,” said Root.
On the match, he added: “It’s hard to look past that first innings, we didn’t adapt enough to the conditions and we were always battling to get back into the game.
“We weren’t at our best in all departments if we’re being brutally honest, we couldn't take those 10 wickets and it’s important we learn those lessons quickly as we’ve got another Test match this week and we want to win it to draw the series.
“Decisions have to be made with rational thinking and we’ll do that over the next couple of days.
“I had great belief in the boys in the dressing-room, I asked them before the start of play to show how much it meant to them to play for England. The Test match wasn’t lost today, it was lost on day one.”
England had gone into the final day needing to survive a minimum of 98 overs with seven second-innings wickets in hand.
At one stage, when Stokes was settled at the crease having brought up his 13th Test half-century and enjoying a lengthy stand with Woakes, it appeared as though they might have a chance of emulating the great Eden Park escape that occurred five years ago to the day, when Matt Prior’s unbeaten 110 helped England bat out 143 overs to salvage a draw.
But the loss of Stokes to the final delivery of the second session pretty much sealed their fate, the all-rounder’s gutsy 188-ball innings of 66 marred by a horrible end that saw him hoick a Neil Wagner bouncer to Tim Southee at point.
It was the third successive session in which the tourists had lost a wicket in the final over and brought to an 83-run partnership with Woakes that had spanned 31.2 overs.
Moeen Ali, trapped lbw to Trent Boult to the final ball of the opening session, and Root, who fell to the same bowler on the stroke of stumps on day four, had also been lost at crucial periods.
Dawid Malan, edging Southee to second slip 17 minutes into the day, and Jonny Bairstow, picking out home captain Kane Williamson at midwicket with a dreadful shot to leg-spinner Todd Astle, had also been lost in the first session of this final day.
However, it was the loss of Stokes that really hurt England and left them needing to see out the final 31.3 overs under lights to engineer an unlikely escape.
It never looked on and after Astle removed Craig Overton and James Anderson to leave England nine down, it was left to Wagner to seal victory with a short ball Woakes, who had just brought up his fifth Test half-century, could only fend to short leg as
New Zealand wrapped up victory with 18.5 overs to spare.
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