'Calmly resilient': Injury-hit New Zealand guts out a rare test series win in England

The Black Caps were without the series' two leading wicket-takers, the first century-maker plus the totemic Kane Williamson, their greatest run-scorer, who retired while they were camped in London.

Meanwhile, England was restored to full strength with Jofra Archer retained ahead of Ollie Robinson, the star of the opening win at Lord's.

Yet, New Zealand defied heavy odds at Trent Bridge, even suffering more injuries during the match, to win by 160 runs just after lunch on day five Monday.

New Zealand won a series in England for only the fourth time in 95 years of touring. Commentator Jeremy Coney was the captain of the first New Zealand side to win in England in 1986.

“(This is a) different side than we had. But calmly resilient,” Coney told the BBC. “They play for each other. They care about each other. They've grown up together. I've got families all around me at breakfast time and they're all together. If someone doesn't have a good day, someone else fills the gap.”

It started with captain Tom Latham and Devon Conway. They'd made hardly any runs but opened with 317 together in a British heat wave. On day two, seamer Blair Tickner, one of the enforced changes, was concussed by a bouncer. In came allrounder Zac Foulkes for his sixth test. Foulkes took three wickets on day three to help New Zealand to a key 84-run lead on the first innings.

Rachin Ravindra revived New Zealand from 51-3 and helped partner Daryl Mitchell and the dressing room to settle. Ravindra fell on the fourth morning for 94 but Mitchell was set and absorbed 13 blows to his body and gloves for a fourth career century against England. New Zealand led by a massive 372 runs and England crumbled.

On Monday morning, senior seamer Will O'Rourke, already bowling with a split fingertip, pulled his left hamstring and left behind a second-string attack and England at 133-6. But Nathan Smith, Foulkes, travelling reserve Ben Sears and part-time spinner Mitchell Santner shouldered the burden with Tom Blundell up at the stumps and cleaned up after lunch.

Grit and guts prevailed for New Zealand to the noisy backdrop of England captain Ben Stokes’ sudden international retirement.

“We were outclassed,” said England coach Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand captain.

New Zealand has won eight of its last nine tests away from home. Latham is the first captain to lead his team to test series wins in India and England in this century.

"Probably the most pleasing thing — different guys who have put their hands up at different times,” Latham said.

Smith, with six wickets in the match and a series-leading 16, emerged from being the fourth Kiwi seamer to the player of the series. Mitchell was the player of the match for his unbeaten 100 and five catches.

"To come here and and do it in a style that's true to us as Black Caps and as Kiwis is something we're really proud of,” Mitchell said. “It’s going to be a cool one to reflect on.

“We're a small country down the bottom of the Earth and it's something that I guess we pride ourselves on is that we just get stuck into whatever's needed to be done and try and get the job done. Sometimes it's been pretty and sometimes it's getting dirty and doing the little things really well.”

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