England captain Ben Stokes doesn’t assume the heavier bowling workload he undertook within the third Take a look at towards New Zealand was a contributory issue to the hamstring damage he suffered throughout the 423-run defeat.
The 33-year-old, who missed 4 Assessments after tearing the identical muscle throughout The Hundred in August, performed no additional half within the match after struggling the damage on Monday.
“Each time you stroll out onto a area as an athlete, you’re placing your self prone to getting damage,” Stokes mentioned in Hamilton after England’s loss on Tuesday. “I labored my a** off to get to the place I used to be on this recreation, specifically, with my physique. It’s simply Sod’s legislation that the primary time shortly I really feel like I’m younger once more, one thing occurs.”
Stokes bowled 24 overs in New Zealand’s first innings and was two balls into his thirteenth over of the second when he suffered the damage – a a lot heavier workload than within the first two Assessments, which England received.
The all-rounder mentioned he had been extraordinarily emotional after being compelled to go away the sector and questioned whether or not there was something he might have achieved in a different way to keep away from the damage.
“If you, while you sleep in it and you’re taking the emotion out of it, you realise that while you’re strolling on the market, you’re all the time placing your self in danger,” he added.
“And that’s what it’s. I labored actually onerous to get myself into place to play the position that I did this recreation, and it’s simply a kind of unlucky issues.”
Stokes, who can have an MRI scan on the damage on Wednesday, mentioned he would have batted on Tuesday if England had been near chasing down their monumental goal.
England don’t play once more within the longest format till a one-off Take a look at towards Zimbabwe in Could earlier than a five-match house sequence towards India in July and August.
“With my damage in the summertime, straightaway I checked out we’ve acquired sure period of time till the following Take a look at sequence, whereas this one we’ve acquired ages until we meet up as a Take a look at workforce once more,” he mentioned.
“However I can’t go into an excessive amount of element till we truly know what the extent of the damage is. I actually hope [I’ll be fit to face India], it’s not that unhealthy.”
New Zealand’s win despatched Tim Southee out a winner on his house floor in his last Take a look at and declare some comfort the victory as one-sided as their losses within the first two matches of the sequence.
The Black Caps had come into the sequence with confidence excessive after their outstanding 3-0 sweep in India solely to be utterly outplayed in additional acquainted situations in Christchurch and Wellington.
At Hamilton’s Seddon Park, they rediscovered their mojo to assert their largest win by runs and inflict the fourth-worst defeat by the identical measure on the vacationers inside 4 days.
Recalled spinner Mitchell Santner (4-85) was named participant of the match after ripping by way of the England tail for a match tally of seven wickets to go along with his 76 and 49 with the bat, nevertheless it was a correct workforce victory.
Kane Williamson might have claimed the honour for a second-innings 156 that took England’s victory goal effectively into world file areas, or Will O’Rourke for a dizzying spell of bowling on day one.
“It’s clearly pleasing to complete in that vogue,” mentioned New Zealand captain Tom Latham.
“We actually knew we weren’t fairly at our greatest these first couple of video games, however I feel the best way we got here in right here and had been in a position to adapt to the floor was very pleasing.”
England, so dominant within the first two Assessments, crumbled to 234 all out after lunch on day 4 of their inconceivable chase for 658 runs to brush the sequence.
The top got here swiftly with England, who regarded decided to go down combating earlier than the break, dropping their final three wickets in 12 deliveries for the addition of three runs.
Southee failed so as to add to his extraordinary tally of 98 Take a look at sixes on Monday, however he did take two wickets in his last innings to complete his profession with 391, the second-highest for a New Zealander behind Richard Hadlee.
“We’re actually leaving one of many greats behind, however I’m positive he’s acquired a shiny future forward of him, no matter which may be,” added Latham, who was entrance and centre as Southee was honoured by Hadlee after the match.
Though the vacationers had been dissatisfied to complete with such a crushing defeat, even on Tuesday there have been some positives to associate with changing into the primary England workforce to win a sequence in New Zealand since 2008.
Jacob Bethell continued his spectacular begin to Take a look at cricket with a 3rd half-century of the sequence earlier than he holed out for 76 to grow to be Southee’s last Take a look at sufferer.
Joe Root reached his sixty fifth Take a look at half-century earlier than being dismissed for 54 by Santner, however Harry Brook was unable to seek out the runs that had been so instrumental to England’s wins within the first two Assessments.
Named participant of the sequence for his two centuries and 350 runs, Brook confronted six deliveries for one run earlier than O’Rourke had him caught within the slips with the type of steepling supply that’s quick changing into his trademark.
O’Rourke additionally dismissed Brook for a golden duck within the first innings throughout a spell that may have reassured native followers that the way forward for New Zealand seam bowling is safe regardless of the retirements of Southee and Trent Boult.
Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson and Matthew Potts did the identical over the sequence for England followers nonetheless mourning the departure of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
Atkinson blasted 43 off 41 balls with seven fours and one six in a defiant rearguard on Tuesday, however as soon as he departed with a miscued slog to deep cowl, the tip was not lengthy in coming.
“We wish to come out and win each recreation that we play,” mentioned Stokes. “It’s clearly disappointing as a workforce to complete like we now have achieved however … the primary two Take a look at matches is the place it actually counted for us, and that’s the place we performed our greatest cricket.”
