Sir Alastair Cook
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Something has happened - I'm not saying since the Lord's thing - but in the past four or five months because his statement after the Ashes was all about how much it hurt him and he couldn't wait to lead the side forward.

He's got one more year on his contract, one more big series to go again against Australia. I don't want to speak for him, and I haven't spoke to him, but it must just mean that he hasn't got it in him.

Because the character is there, if he wants it. We've seen it in this game and at The Oval that he is the only one who can balance it as a world-class player and maybe he thinks that he can't be that player any more.

You don't know what's happened, but I know that handing that cap back when you know that England still want you as their captain is a big, big thing.

Right between keeper and slip!

Does that count as a drop? Ben Sears' edge off Shoaib Bashir bisected them perfectly, with the ball racing away for four.

A further single for Ben Sears moves him to 10 from 17 balls.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Last week, we saw the hole that he leaves in the team when he's not there.

I guess England have got to move forward now - it's hard to say that when it's only just happened but England and the management will have to look at how they built a team without an all-rounder like Ben Stokes.

And it's not just the player, the all-rounder. It's the persona. He's got a winning mentality, I have him right up there as one of England's greatest players when the pressure's on.

There's not many who have coped with the pressure of an England jersey like Ben has. I am desperate for him to get a score in this second innings to just show us once more what it's like to chase a target.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

It must be quite an odd feeling in that dressing room.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport cricket correspondent at Trent Bridge

If you think about the moments that he has given English cricket, and British sport - the World Cup 2019, Headingley 2019, Sports Personality.

This isn't how we all thought it would end but I suppose it is a very Ben Stokes way for it to end.

How fitting that it comes during one of his marathon spells, he must be the first player to take a wicket straight after the announcement.

Daryl Mitchell, who has been rather timid in this innings, takes a big waft at Josh Tongue's first ball and sends it flying over the slips for four.

He takes a single off the following delivery and Ben Sears sees out the rest of the over without scoring.

Here it is, the magic moment.

Ben Stokes takes the wicket of Zak Foulkes with the first ball after his retirement was announced to the crowd.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

These massive characters in sport, which these all-rounders are. They have something that is a little bit special.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport cricket correspondent at Trent Bridge

We're all stunned and surprised, but there were clues. If we were listening really closely on Wednesday, he was asked about his return to captaining this week and he said "this week" very specifically.

He was pressed on it, but that's all he said. And then he was asked about the prospect of being an England player without being the England captain and he said "I don't know" if I could do that.

My feeling about all of this, is that this isn't how it was supposed to end. We all thought that Ben Stokes would get to The Oval next year, against Australia, and lift the urn as an Ashes-winning captain and ride off into the sunset and that would be a fitting way for this remarkable career to end.

He will go right up there in the list of greatest players to have ever played for England.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

He's basically saying he's had a ride of giving absolutely everything for his leadership and he's asking them to do it again for just two more days.

But it's the "reasons why" comment. He mentions the well that he's gone to so many times for England and eventually you just can't keep dipping into it, it's not there for you.

I just hope that the last two weeks isn't the reason. I'll be so disappointed if it is. That English cricket has got to the stage where one of our greatest has had to step down because of the way that whole situation was handled.

Two singles off the first over after tea.

Daryl Mitchell sends Shoaib Bashir's final ball out to the deep at mid-wicket, where Ben Duckett collects - the New Zealand number five could probably have run two but he wanted to protect Ben Sears from the strike.

I was wrong about Ben Stokes bowling, Josh Tongue will take the next over.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

The decision has taken everyone by surprised and clearly his players, when they made his address this morning were stunned. I mean the timing, during the game?

Maybe he is hoping it will inspire his players to produce something special and win this series.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

Clearly something has triggered in his mind. You look at his bowling, you look at his contract that he's got until next year - there's a home Ashes series next year.

There were so many rumours about fallouts but I do hope that wasn't the case, I hope that he just woke up one morning and said he'd had enough. He's given it everything for such a long period of time.

New Zealand resume on 234-8, leading by 318, with Daryl Mitchell on 63 and Ben Sears on four.

Shoaib Bashir will take the first over after tea.

I reckon I can guess the bowler at the other end.

Image source, Getty Images

There is some cricket to be played.

The England players and both New Zealand batters line-up for a guard of honour as Ben Stokes walks on to the field.

He's got an unlikely victory to orchestrate - here's how WinViz sees it.

Image source, CricViz

We'll be seeing a lot of Ben Stokes highlights over the next couple of days.

Let's start with the big one - Headingley 2019.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC Chief Cricket Commentator on Test Match Special

It is a big thing to retire from international sport like this. He is fit and strong, getting wickets.

It is something that has happened over the last few days. The statement he has made to the England team still doesn't really say why he has done it. It was ether this morning or last night.

Clearly the players were surprised, you could see Jacob Bethell in the back, looking rather stunned.

Ben Stokes was in the thick of the action in the afternoon session, all the while knowing his retirement announcement was about to be made public.

Here's how he dismissed Mitchell Santner, between two Jofra Archer wickets, in a spell of three wickets in 10 balls.

Michael Vaughan
Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

That was an immediate reminder of what England are going to miss.

That's exactly why he is a great, and incredible player.

I am still completely stunned. I just didn't see it coming, but I did see the wicket coming because he has done that throughout his entire career. Whenever England need something, he has always delivered.