Eng clinch historic Test series win in NZ

Wellington

England defeated New Zealand by 323 runs in the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. The victory marked England's first Test series win in New Zealand since 2008. After a challenging start on Day 1, where England found themselves at 40/4, Harry Brook’s brilliant century (123) and Ollie Pope’s crucial contributions helped the team recover, stabilizing the innings. England posted 427/6 before declaring, setting New Zealand a daunting 583-run target. Joe Root’s century (106) further bolstered England’s total. On Day 3, New Zealand struggled to chase down the target. Despite a valiant knock from Tom Blundell (115 off 102), England’s bowlers, led by Ben Stokes (3/5), Brydon Carse, Chris Woakes, and Shoaib Bashir, dominated, dismissing the Kiwis for 259. Stokes’ side put up an impressive bowling effort, with Carse and Woakes making early inroads into the New Zealand top order. Captain Ben Stokes attributed the victory to England's dominant style of play. To be on the winning side after being 40 for 4 on Day 1 is phenomenal. We back ourselves to change games, and the way Harry Brook and Ollie Pope played set this game up for us, Stokes said. England will look to complete a 3-0 series sweep in the final Test, starting December 14 in Hamilton at Seddon Park.