Had Ben Stokes remained in his usual spot down the order, the England supporters who took up the offer of free final day tickets here would have at least had a crackle of anticipation when he came out to bat.Defeat was pretty inevitable ­chasing 373 on a cracked pitch that was increasingly throwing up tricks. Stokes had not produced a miracle with the bat for a while. But there might not have been such a downbeat vibe as New Zealand wrapped up a 2-1 series victory 30 minutes after lunch.That said, to be one of the ­handful of New Zealanders inside the ground on day five must have been heaven. Over the course of four weeks, Tom Latham’s team turned a 1-0 deficit, and the loss of an all-time great in Kane ­Williamson, into a tour about which they will tell the grandkids. It was their fourth series win in England and their first over three or more Tests since 1999. It was some performance.Even with the result all but sewn up on Sunday, when Stokes opened and England crashed to 103 for four trying to bite a huge chunk out of the target, the final rites still showcased the best of a Black Caps side that made history by sweeping India 3-0 away from home 18 months ago.Two sublime direct-hit run outs from Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner removed Joe Root and Josh Tongue respectively, while their player of the series, Nathan Smith, fittingly held the catch in the deep that snuffed out his namesake, Jamie, on 60 and left England 212 all out.Daryl Mitchell, battered and bruised like Brian Close after his six-hour unbeaten century, was rightly named player of the match.Stokes did it his way. But regrets? He may have a few. Same goes for the England team and the ­leadership group he leaves behind. After a ­dismal Ashes winter, they have now served up their worst home result for 14 years. Not exactly the reset they set out to achieve this summer.That one of the great careers has come to an end is not in question. Stokes has been the most compelling English cricketer of his generation, a man of startling game-breaking interventions that transcend the raw numbers. Not that 7,273 Test runs, 14 centuries and 252 wickets require much embellishment.Taking the all-rounder’s flat refusal to countenance a possible comeback during next summer’s Ashes at face value – “I’m done, mate” was the reply – this is the end of an era for English cricket.Ben Stokes (left) used his final post-match interview as England captain to back Harry Brook (right) to succeed him. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesCovering his career in pretty much its entirety has been one hell of a ride and a privilege (even if a jokey headlock in a bar in Barbados one time was a little stronger than expected).But beyond the tributes – and Stokes would be the first to admit he is not perfect – not many on the English side of the ledger comes out well from this series. Given the off-field problems, and continued ­difficulties when a wicketkeeper stands up to the fast-mediums, they should feel sheepish about the way it panned out.Even in a decider when they fell the wrong side of an important toss, there were times beyond just that manic trolley-dash for runs on Sunday when they looked more like ­content ­creators than serious cricketers.Take the third evening, when New Zealand began their second innings 84 runs ahead and were ­suddenly contending with Jofra Archer on a hot streak. England’s fielders were essentially mucking about between deliveries, playing a game of hot potato with the new ball and stitching each other up with some of the throws.Test teams do all sorts to keep energy levels up in the field, some of which can look peculiar at times, but they looked so ragged in that session, when the match ­situation – still very much in the ­balance – surely called for laser focus.They could do worse than look across the aisle, having been outstripped by New Zealand in the basics. The tourists also coped far better with selection setbacks, having gone into the decider without Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson in their attack, before going on to lose Blair Tickner mid-game to concussion.Zak Foulkes performed admirably for New Zealand despite only coming in as a concussion substitute. Photograph: Manjit Narotra/ProSports/ShutterstockIn claiming six wickets, Zak Foulkes may well have delivered the best substitute performance witnessed in these parts since Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored four off the bench against Nottingham Forest in 1999. He and Smith ensured injuries to Will O’Rourke and Ben Sears were not felt significantly.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionAfter a season of four managers across the road at the City Ground, there is no question what Evangelos Marinakis would do with a management team producing the kind of results England’s supporters have endured of late. Seven defeats in nine is scarcely different to Ange Postecoglou’s short-lived run of six in eight.Whether English cricket’s two Richards, Gould and Thompson, similarly reach for the button that opens the trapdoor to the shark pool remains to be seen. Brendon ­McCullum, the head coach, said he felt backed to continue and his ­appetite remains strong. But it does feel like he and the team ­director, Rob Key, are teetering.Stokes was interesting when asked about the way forward. In terms of a successor, the departing captain said he would “100% support” a ­promotion for Harry Brook and called it a “natural progression”. Joe Root appears the only viable alternative, but would be carrying baggage from his previous spell in the role.Brendon McCullum (centre) again finds himself with questions to answer about his tenure as England head coach. Photograph: Philip Brown/Getty ImagesBrook, who will lead the white-ball side in the first T20I against India on Wednesday, is aligned with ­McCullum, but that will not instil much ­confidence right now. Although as Stokes pointed out, it could also be the making of a player who averages 53 in Test cricket – even with that ­penchant for a Harry-kiri innings.As for whether McCullum and Key were the right men, Stokes said he had enjoyed four-and-a-half years working with the pair, but went on to add how happy he was not to be involved in those kind of decisions any more. An endorsement of the past, certainly, but one that stopped short of endorsing them as the future.Whoever constitutes “the leader­ship” come the first Test against Pakistan in late August, their biggest headache will be filling the hole in the XI Stokes has left behind. As ­McCullum noted, every team in the world would like a ­genuine quick who has the ability to bat in the top seven.While Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower were content – some even said relieved – when Andrew ­Flintoff retired in 2009, they already had a world-class spinner in Graeme Swann. He could operate with just three seamers, holding an end in the first innings before turning into a genuine match-winner later on.Even a dive could not save Josh Tongue from being run out by a pinpoint throw from Mitchell Santner. Photograph: Philip Brown/Getty ImagesUnless Sam Curran makes a Test comeback, it may be that ­England have to look to a spin-bowling all‑rounder for balance, with ­players such as Rehan Ahmed, Liam ­Patterson‑White and James Coles all options. Shoaib Bashir, a promising cricketer, but blooded optimistically, will now struggle to play without Stokes.Although what England have lost goes beyond just balance. Suddenly a team that Stokes called out for being a bit meek in Australia has lost its only aggressor; the one player who gave them snarl in the field and meant opposition sides could never relax while he was still at the crease.It’s the end of an era, all right. And the next one does not look straightforward.