In the second Test at The Oval, England suffers a 253-run defeat to New Zealand. The match is played in the absence of England all-rounder Ben Stokes, with England naming an interim captain, Joe Root. New Zealand’s bowling attack drives the result, led by Matt Henry, who takes 11 wickets in the match. Henry strikes early, taking wickets quickly after beginning with minimal overs and dismissing Joe Root by trapping him on the pad. The overall dismissals leave England unable to chase New Zealand’s total, and the innings ends well short of the target. The margin underlines New Zealand’s control throughout the game, both in taking early wickets and in sustaining pressure across England’s batting innings. With Henry central to the wicket-taking and New Zealand consolidating the advantage, England’s second-innings batting collapses into a large loss. The sources report the key result as a 253-run defeat and highlight Henry’s match haul as the decisive factor.