England struggles in second Test as Stokes misses match due to investigation
Yahoo Sports • 2 min read • Latest: Jun 20, 2026, 7:22 PM
Last updated Jun 20, 2026
In the second Test against New Zealand at The Oval, England ended day four at 182-5, chasing a daunting 463 runs for victory. Josh Tongue acknowledged the absence of captain Ben Stokes, who missed the match amid an investigation related to a nightclub incident. Stokes played for Durham on Saturday, scoring 95, marking his highest score in nearly a year. England's difficulties have been compounded by injuries and paternity leave within the squad, with Joe Root leading a team featuring three debutants. Both Stokes and pace bowler Gus Atkinson could return for the third Test at Trent Bridge, starting Thursday.
- •England 182-5 at close of day four, chasing 463 runs
- •Ben Stokes scores 95 for Durham while suspended
- •Joe Root leads a team with significant inexperience
- •Investigation pending over nightclub incident involving players
- •Third Test at Trent Bridge starts Thursday
- 7:22 PMYahoo Sports — Tongue admits England have missed absent Stokes
- 7:22 PMBBC Sport — Tongue admits England have missed absent Stokes
- 7:11 PMThe Guardian Sport — ‘Yeah, we’ve missed him’: England hurt by loss of Ben Stokes, admits Josh Tongue
- 7:10 PMESPNcricinfo — Tongue: England have missed Stokes in The Oval Test
"Second Test D4: NZ 391 & 362; England 291 & 182-5 Stokes hits 95 for Durham while England struggle Josh Tongue admitted England have missed the influence of Ben Stokes after a day in which they crumbled to the brink of defeat in the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval. While they were doing so the team’s full-time captain, forced out of international duty for disciplinary reasons, was 250 miles north at Chester-le-Street, scoring a swashbuckling 95 for Durham in the County Championship. England ended the fourth day on 182 for five, a distant 281 from victory, after the tourists scored 362 in their second innings. The home side have worked this week under the interim captaincy of Joe Root, on whose back their slender hopes once again lie, after he became the second player in Test history to pass 14,000 career runs on his way to an unbeaten 75, Continue reading...
"Pace bowler Josh Tongue admits England have missed absent captain Ben Stokes as they head for a heavy defeat in the second Test against New Zealand.
"Pace bowler Josh Tongue admits England have missed absent captain Ben Stokes as they head for a heavy defeat in the second Test against New Zealand.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsJun 20, 2026, 7:22 PMTongue admits England have missed absent Stokes
Pace bowler Josh Tongue admits England have missed absent captain Ben Stokes as they head for a heavy defeat in the second Test against New Zealand.
- BBC SportJun 20, 2026, 7:22 PMTongue admits England have missed absent Stokes
Pace bowler Josh Tongue admits England have missed absent captain Ben Stokes as they head for a heavy defeat in the second Test against New Zealand.
- The Guardian SportJun 20, 2026, 7:11 PM‘Yeah, we’ve missed him’: England hurt by loss of Ben Stokes, admits Josh Tongue
Second Test D4: NZ 391 & 362; England 291 & 182-5 Stokes hits 95 for Durham while England struggle Josh Tongue admitted England have missed the influence of Ben Stokes after a day in which they crumbled to the brink of defeat in the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval. While they were doing so the team’s full-time captain, forced out of international duty for disciplinary reasons, was 250 miles north at Chester-le-Street, scoring a swashbuckling 95 for Durham in the County Championship. England ended the fourth day on 182 for five, a distant 281 from victory, after the tourists scored 362 in their second innings. The home side have worked this week under the interim captaincy of Joe Root, on whose back their slender hopes once again lie, after he became the second player in Test history to pass 14,000 career runs on his way to an unbeaten 75, Continue reading...
- ESPNcricinfoJun 20, 2026, 7:10 PMTongue: England have missed Stokes in The Oval Test
England go into day five needing 281 runs to beat New Zealand with six wickets in hand
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