England's Test summer ended in disappointment as New Zealand sealed a 160-run victory at Trent Bridge, delivering a painful farewell for Ben Stokes in his final international appearance. The 35-year-old announced his retirement mid-match, bringing down the curtain on a remarkable 13-year career spanning 122 Tests.

Ben Duckett led the batting resistance with a sparkling 113 from 99 balls, including 19 boundaries, before England collapsed from 317-0 to 354 all out. His first-innings heroics briefly put England in control, but Nathan Smith's intervention sparked the downfall that left the hosts trailing by 84 runs.

Jofra Archer claimed England's Player of the Series award with 11 wickets across the final two Tests, finishing with 4-53 in the second innings. Stokes also contributed 4-70 with the ball, reaching 250 Test wickets with his very first delivery after confirming his retirement, prompting emotional celebrations.

Harry Brook's reckless second-innings dismissal summed up England's careless batting, while Jacob Bethell's 74 provided brief optimism. The defeat raises questions about England's batting depth ahead of the Ashes, with several players failing to convert promising starts into match-defining scores.