Pace bowler Josh Tongue acknowledged England's struggles in the second Test against New Zealand, attributing some of the difficulties to the absence of captain Ben Stokes. Stokes and Gus Atkinson are unavailable pending an investigation into a nightclub incident. Stokes has shown form in county cricket, scoring 95 for Durham.
England are on the brink of defeat in the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval, ending day four on 182 for five, trailing by 281 runs. Josh Tongue acknowledged the absence of captain Ben Stokes, who was scoring runs in a county match, while Joe Root continues his stand-in captaincy.
England secured a decisive win in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord's, a crucial morale boost after a difficult Ashes series, with standout performances from bowlers Ollie Robinson, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue, and promising batting from Emilio Gay.
England's cricket team faces a summer of intrigue after their Ashes loss, with a large squad named for the first Test against New Zealand. Key players like Zak Crawley are out, while Ollie Robinson is recalled as the attack leader, Gus Atkinson as support, and Josh Tongue as the X-factor.
