29th over: England 155-6 (Smith 29, Atkinson 2)

This has been a really unusual period of calm in this Test match. Maybe even these last six months. A couple of pairs for Smith adds four more runs to the total.

I must admit I didn’t know the below story from Kimberley, but I’ve enjoyed it a lot as the players take a drink.

Nearby vandals, activists and protestors. Your country needs you now.

“Headingley is in my thoughts. Not the 1981 resurrection of English cricket by Ian Botham and Willis, but the cricket pitch being most infamously dug up by vandals and protesters in August 1975 during the third Ashes Test. Activists protesting the imprisonment of George Davis broke in overnight, dug large holes in the wicket, and poured oil over it, forcing the match to be abandoned as a draw. If any of those activists are still alive, your country needs you once more, RIGHT NOW.”

28th over: England 151-6 (Smith 25, Atkinson 2)

Just the one run off Santner’s third over. Atkinson now on 2 off 29.

One thing I’ve noticed. It doesn’t appear that Ben Sears is on the pitch. He was injured yesterday, O’Rourke injured today. New Zealand are basically down to three bowlers. But, England are already six wickets down.

27th over: England 150-6 (Smith 24, Atkinson 2)

A change of ends for Zak Foulkes. And another maiden.

Ian has his say on the whole situation:

“Two things can be true at once - Stokes has provided great moments & has given a lot of people a lot of fun. Also, yesterday evening highlighted that making it all about him isn’t healthy for the team or indeed himself. Opening the batting when his batting is currently poor, throwing everything at a highly unlikely win will almost certainly result in a series defeat when we could still have avoided defeat. He’s not thinking straight, so leaving is definitely the right decision.

“Brook shouldn’t be captain, it would be like allowing the toddlers to run the play group.”

26th over: England 150-6 (Smith 24, Atkinson 2)

Spin into the attack as Mitchell Santner comes on from the Stuart Broad end. He’s had a quiet Test match Santner and he leaks some runs here too. Ten in total.

25th over: England 140-6 (Smith 14, Atkinson 2)

We were never meant to understand any of this anyway. But given the fire and fury England came out with yesterday. It is a bit perplexing seeing Smith 14 off 23 and Atkinson 2 off 18. But then again if they all threw it away I’d be annoyed the other way around so what can you do.

24th over: England 139-6 (Smith 13, Atkinson 2)

Atkinson is off the mark from his sixteenth ball faced. And the run-rate is now, officially, below six-an-over. Not good enough from England.

23rd over: England 137-6 (Smith 13, Aktinson 0)

Coupla runs off the 23rd. Just seven overs left to make sure that England’s last innings under Stokes is not their shortest. Come on lads we can do it.

A few emails in with some outside the box captaincy shouts. Rich and Ade have both tentatively name-checked Ollie Pope, while Darryl has pumped for Haseeb Hameed. I’d file both of those under ‘unlikely’. But we need big thinkers in this day and age.

22nd over: England 133-6 (Smith 9, Atkinson 0)

The good news is the runs are flowing. The bad news is it’s because the ball’s seaming so much that it’s beating batters and wicketkeepers alike.

Uh oh, Will O’Rourke’s in trouble here and has had to come off. As he approached the crease he stopped, reached for his left hamstring and walked straight off. Foukles completed the over.

21st over: England 129-6 (Smith 9, Atkinson 0)

It’s back on! A wild four byes and two convincing fours from Smith and New Zealand are on the ropes. They’re nervous, we’re calm. 244 to win.

20th over: England 117-6 (Smith 1, Atkinson 0)

If my stats-ing is accurate. The shortest completed innings in the Bazball era is the 29.5 overs England got bowled out in at Melbourne four Tests ago – so we’re two thirds of the way there. We went on to win that Test, we won’t win this one.

Smith gets off the mark from an otherwise uneventful over.

Bear with me, I’m just looking up the shortest innings of the Bazball era…

19th over: England 116-6 (Smith 0, Atkinson 0)

England are six down and have batted for 19 overs. It’s already ugly. But it could somehow get even worse.

What have we thought of Emilio Gay’s first series in Test cricket? A couple of handy half-centuries against a very tidy seam attack. The pitch at Lord’s was a horror, the day five track today tricky to caveat what otherwise looks like an unimpressive return of 139 runs @ 23.66. I’m giving him a down the line 5.5/10. See you against Pakistan Emilio and we’ll go again.

18th over: England 116-4 (Root 18, Gay 10)

Half an appeal after Root drives, misses, but New Zealand think they hear a tickle. Otherwise a comfortably negotiated over for England as Root and Gay trade a couple of singles before Root slaps a loose delivery from O’Rourke for four. The charge is on.

17th over: England 110-4 (Root 13, Gay 9)

Oh wow. Nathan Smith’s second ball lifts horribly off a length and flies past Emilio Gay’s nose. And the next ball zips past his edge. That 373 to win is looking even further away. I’m bringing my sweepstake of when this all finishes to pre-lunch. Maiden over in all from Smith. A goodie.

Colum has been in touch about the captaincy and rather nails the issue: “Who can step into the shoes of such a gigantic personality, charismatic leader and astounding player? Root is jaded, Brook is probably not ready and no one else really fits the bill.”

16th over: England 110-4 (Root 13, Gay 9)

Typing out the score again really hammers home how ludicrous the last hour was. We only had 15 overs and England basically scored at seven an over and lost four wickets in the process. Carnage.

A tidy start for Gay who tucks a couple off the hip before a single means Root faces the last ball of the over and blimey! Big drive and a big edge through the slip cordon for four. Steady, Joe…

Here we go, and Will O’Rourke, who busted his finger yesterday and only bowled one ball is back with the ball in hand. Emilio Gay to face.

We’re almost ready here as Stokes gets his latest and definitely not last ovation for the day. The big screen is playing a montage and the crowd is clapping.

Who’s going to replace him as skipper? Brook? Root? Any guesses?

Ten minutes to go until the start of day five.

We have a…smattering of fans in the ground I reckon. That’d be my official terminology anyway. Sweepstakes in of what time this will all be over. I’m going for 14:07.

And we’ve had the idea of the day from Wayne (kia ora, Wayne) down in New Zealand.

“As a Kiwi, I’ve always wondered how Stokes’ career would have gone had he opted to play for NZ, the country of his birth…After the 4 year ICC stand down for professionals who switch allegiance, he’ll only be 39 and, well, would you write off one more maverick twist in the Stokes tale?”

I’m all for it. Stokes to reverse his international retirement in 2030 and turn out for the Black Caps. (I’m not even sure that would be allowed.)

We’ve had a couple people emailing in (get in contact here) about their thoughts from yesterday.

Liam (hello, Liam) doesn’t hold back: “I thought yesterday was a display of complete arrogance, in keeping with the shambles of the last couple of years.”

While Anand (hello, Anand) isn’t convinced of the ploy for Stokes to open: “Don’t think him opening the batting was probably a good idea and if it wasn’t his last innings, I don’t think he would’ve done it.”

Third favourite Ben Stokes memory? I’ll go first. Lord’s 2023. It was ultimately doomed. But maybe that’s what made it better.

And here’s another thing if you like your stats and facts uncaveated. The last time England lost a Test series at home of any sort? New Zealand 2021 when the Black Caps beat England one-nil over two matches. It’s always these boys.

And if England are losing, that means New Zealand are winning.

The tourists have been excellent are the depth of their seam-bowling stocks and overall quality has been immense. Remember, these boys knocked over India three-nil in India’s own backyard less than two years ago. And now they might be about to give England their first series defeat on home soil* since 2012. Not bad from the Black Caps.

*In series of three Tests or more. It’s just very wordy to say it all in one go.

So, match situation. In short, England are losing. They need another 270 runs and are four wickets down.

But where there’s a Root, there’s a way. The former England skipper (and possibly future England skipper?) is at the crease on nine along with Emilio Gay on six.

It’s from a couple of days ago, but also worth a read of Andy Bull from Saturday.

Amidst all the drama and emotion of Stokes’ retirement, there is also the small fact that this is likely to be England’s sixth Test defeat in the last eight. They will have two wins from their last ten and have a losing record over the past three years. Will there be more change ahead?

Mark Ramprakash’s article on Stokes yesterday was excellent. It’s a morning to sit back and read everything from the twenty-four hours and I’d start, for now, with this.

I first came across him when he featured in a Sunday League game at the Oval for Durham against Surrey. He bowled a couple of balls and I thought: “I fancy this guy.” So I tried to hoick him into the stands, and of course my middle stump went cartwheeling.

To get in the mood. Here’s a gallery of Stokes’ remarkable cricket career in pictures.

There may be just a few things to talk about today. Get in touch with me here and I’m interested in all your thoughts. What you thought of yesterday, was it self-indulgent or was it a blaze of glory? And also your favourite Ben Stokes’ moments. Headingley 2019, Lord’s 2019 and….?