England's cricket team suffered a dismal 253-run defeat against New Zealand in the second Test at The Oval, with the Kiwis squaring the series at 1-1. The hosts will now face a decider at Trent Bridge, which promises to be a thrilling contest.
The result was a chastening experience for an inexperienced England side, where acting captain Joe Root had more appearances than the rest of the team combined. Root himself scored 77 in the second innings, but this was a largely miserable return to captaincy.
Several England players struggled to make an impact, with Ben Duckett scoring just 36 off 25 balls before being run out, and Jacob Bethell making scores of 9 and 0, which underlined his rustiness for the longer format. James Rew, on debut, looked a little out of his depth, while Jordan Cox's scores of 27 and 25 did not set the world alight.
However, Jofra Archer was England's best player, bowling some ferociously quick spells that unsettled New Zealand's batters. Matthew Fisher also impressed, grafting a determined half-century in a tail-end rescue act.
New Zealand's Henry Nicholls scored his first Test century in England in the second innings, which was a crucial factor in his side's victory. Glenn Phillips also made a fluent hundred at a vital stage early in the game, which weakened England's resolve.