England have slumped to a 253-run defeat against New Zealand on the fifth morning of the second Test, as the door opened for Ben Stokes to return for next week's series decider.
Soon 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, a heavy indication the pair will be back on parade at Trent Bridge once the investigation into their curfew-breaching night out is complete.
And what unfolded in the next 48 minutes 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 their overnight 5-182 to down and out for 209, squaring the series scoreline at 1-1 ahead of the likely circus that will accompany Stokes to Nottingham.
