Henry's 11-wicket masterclass crushes England by 253 runs at The Oval
London, June 21
Matt Henry produced the finest performance of his Test career with a maiden 11-wicket match haul as New Zealand crushed England by 253 runs inside an hour on the fifth morning of the second Test at The Oval, levelling the series in emphatic fashion.
Chasing a tough target of 463 for victory, England started the final day at 182-5 with slim hopes of achieving a record chase. Those hopes quickly faded in the third over of the morning when Henry struck with just his seventh ball of the day, trapping Joe Root lbw for 77. The decision was reviewed, but technology offered no relief for Root as New Zealand tightened their hold on the match.
Henry then ran through the lower order with great effectiveness. He took his second wicket in a double-wicket maiden when Jofra Archer was bowled for a two-ball duck by a delivery that kept low and hit middle stump. Matthew Fisher, who had scored his first Test half-century in the first innings, chopped on in Henry's next over. Josh Tongue then edged behind to Daryl Mitchell at slip for a first-ball duck.
This collapse gave Henry his first Test 10-wicket haul and left England looking at defeat. Jordan Cox briefly delayed the inevitable by counterattacking with some aggressive shots. He helped move England past 200 by lifting Henry over slip and later hitting a six over long-on, but his resistance was short.
Henry had the last word, delivering a perfect leg-stump yorker to bowl Cox for 25, finishing with figures of 6-29 in the second innings. His match figures of 11-109 were not only a career best but also the best by a New Zealand bowler in a Test match in England.
This victory secured New Zealand's largest win by runs on English soil and leveled the series heading into the deciding third Test. England, who had celebrated a confidence-boosting victory in the first Test exactly two weeks earlier, were thoroughly outplayed as Henry's brilliance propelled the tourists to a strong comeback.
The defeat also comes at a difficult time for England. Captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson missed the Test after being sidelined pending an investigation into an incident after the first Test at Lord's. The two reportedly broke the team's midnight curfew and were present when a security staff member was hit by a Saracens rugby player.
With the outcome of that investigation expected soon and England needing to name a squad for the third Test at Trent Bridge, it seems likely that both Stokes and Atkinson will return after being withdrawn from county commitments on Sunday morning.
Brief scores: New Zealand 391 & 362 beat England 291 & 209 (Joe Root 77; Matt Henry 6-29) by 253 runs
— IANS
Reader Comments
England fans must be feeling like they're watching reruns of India's collapses in England! Root's dismissal was the turning point - once he's gone, the rest just crumble like biscuits in chai. Henry's 11-for is legendary, but England's discipline off the field is a bigger concern. Stokes and Atkinson breaking curfew? That's not leadership material, yaar.
Henry's figures are simply phenomenal! 11-109 - best by a Kiwi bowler in England. But honestly, England's batting looks fragile without Stokes. Root stands alone, but one man can't win Tests. New Zealand showed great character to bounce back after Lord's. Final Test at Trent Bridge should be a cracker! 🏏
Watching England collapse like this gives me PTSD as an Indian supporter! 😂 But in all seriousness, Henry's spell was world-class. A yorker to clean up Cox at the end - pure class. The bigger story here is the Stokes-Atkinson saga. If they were out partying after a win, that's unacceptable at any level. Leadership needs to step up.
Great performance from Henry, but let's not ignore England's off-field issues. Breaking curfew after winning a Test? That's amateurish. Root's 77 was valiant, but the lower order folded like cheap suit. New Zealand fully deserved this win. Looking forward to a decider at Trent Bridge! 🇳🇿
As a cricket lover, I'm thrilled to see Test cricket remain so competitive. Henry's performance shows why New Zealand punch above their weight - superb seam bowling on unhelpful tracks. The Stokes investigation adds unnecessary drama. Hope the focus
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