England slumped to a 253-run defeat against New Zealand on the fifth morning of the second Rothesay Test to prompt a swift recall for Ben Stokes ahead of next week’s series decider.

Shortly before play began at the Kia Oval, the England and Wales Cricket Board withdrew Stokes and Gus Atkinson from their county sojourns with Durham and Surrey, and head coach Brendon McCullum subsequently confirmed that Stokes will return as captain at Trent Bridge.

What unfolded on the final morning’s play at The Oval suggested a hastily rearranged England team showing five changes from the one Stokes led to victory at Lord’s earlier this month was in desperate need of reinforcements.

That was how long it took Matt Henry to reduce them from 182-5 overnight to down and out for 209, squaring the scoreline at 1-1 ahead of the likely circus that will accompany Stokes to Nottingham.

Class act: England’s Joe Root passed two more landmarks on day four of the second Test with New Zealand at The Kia Oval, but his heroics couldn’t save the hosts.

placeholder image — Class act: England’s Joe Root passed two more landmarks on day four of the second Test with New Zealand at The Kia Oval, but his heroics couldn’t save the hosts.

The home side arrived with their chances of victory all but gone, needing 281 runs for a world record chase of 463, but at least had the reassuring presence of Joe Root to carry their fading hopes.

When he was trapped lbw by the relentless Henry in the third over of the day, with just two runs added to his overnight 75, the lights went out on England.

Henry finished them off with ruthless efficiency – too skilful, too consistent and too precise for a home side that has showed a soft underbelly since being rejigged in Stokes’ absence.

The Kiwi seamer was imperious as he stitched together consecutive double wicket maidens in a row, starting by sneaking one past Root’s front pad and into his back leg. Jofra Archer was next for a two-ball duck as he lost his stumps to one that kept low.

Henry bagged two more in his next visit, Matt Fisher dragging on to follow his first-innings 50 with a nought before Josh Tongue nicked the next ball to slip.

That secured Henry’s first-ever 10-wicket match in Test cricket and he went one better, ending a brief rally by debutant Jordan Cox by cleaning him up as he danced around his crease.

Henry took the acclaim with a majestic 6-29, leaving England with plenty of questions to answer on and off the field.

After Saturday’s fourth day, Josh Tongue admitted England had missed Stokes at the Kia Oval, with the absent captain clubbing 95 runs for Durham while his international team-mates struggled with a record chase against New Zealand. The 35-year-old will now return to the team at Trent Bridge this week, with a disciplinary update thought to be coming on Monday, and he offered a reminder of his abilities on his county comeback at Chester-le-Street.

He hit 18 fours in an attacking knock against Northamptonshire, finishing up within one blow of a defiant century. That kind of hitting power would have been welcomed by England.

“Stokesy is an unbelievable player. It’s always nice to see him get some runs,” said fast bowler Tongue.

“I made my debut when he was captain, I’ve got huge respect for Stokesy. Yeah, we’ve missed him, but we’ve got a lot of leaders in that team.

“Obviously Rooty (Joe Root) can step in as captain as well and he’s an unbelievable player, unbelievable leader. It’s been good.”

Root is another who continues to leave a positive impression on those he shares the field with.

Faced with daunting odds, he produced an assured knock of 75 not out as the rest of the top six fell away under pressure from the Kiwi attack. Even more impressively, he did so having shouldered the leadership burden he thought he had given away for good more than four years ago.

In challenging circumstances, and with a raw team that struggled to match up to New Zealand’s clinical skills, Root’s own class remained intact.

His second run of the day took him to 14,000 Test runs – just the second ever player to achieve that mark after India’s Sachin Tendulkar – and another 25 would take him to 41 centuries, eclipsing Australia’s Ricky Ponting.

“I’ve watched him for many years so to share the dressing room with him is a massive honour, as captain he’s been unbelievable with me,” Tongue added.

“He’s a very relaxed guy. He’s been very positive.”

Around 275 miles away at the Banks Homes Riverside, Durham batter Will Rhodes was speaking after playing the junior role in a stand of 153 with Stokes.

Reflecting on his front-row seat as the England skipper let his bat do the talking, he said: “It’s nice to see how Stokesy goes about his business.

"It’s not often you’re standing at the other end and you feel inferior to someone.

"Nobody in the crowd’s come to watch me bat so it was nice to go about my work pretty quietly.”