England captain Ben Stokes stunned the cricket world by announcing his upcoming retirement from international duty in the middle of a Test match on Sunday as an unbeaten hundred from New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell batted the Black Caps into a commanding position at Trent Bridge.

Stokes confirmed he would end his celebrated England career after the ongoing third and final Test against New Zealand in Nottingham, adding more drama to a three-match series locked at 1-1.

But Mitchell's 100 not out took New Zealand to 288-9 declared in their second innings and left England needing an imposing 373 to win on a wearing pitch of increasingly uneven bounce. 

Stokes's announcement was made public shortly before tea on the fourth day with the 35-year-old, one of the outstanding all-rounders of his generation, having informed his team-mates in the dressing room before the start of Sunday's play. 

He was in the middle of a lengthy bowling spell, with news filtering into a stunned crowd as he was about to start his 11th over.

Stokes then received a standing ovation from spectators at Trent Bridge.

And in a moment of pure sporting theatre, Stokes had Zak Foulkes caught at slip with his next ball to spark yet more raucous cheers.

Sunday's shock announcement came after Stokes returned to England duty at Trent Bridge following the fall-out from a London nightclub incident also involving teammate Gus Atkinson earlier this month.

Stokes was back after being omitted from England's 253-run defeat in the second Test at the Oval for breaking a midnight curfew, alongside Atkinson, while celebrating at a London nightclub following the first-Test win over New Zealand.

"There's something that I know is going to happen over the next two days, which is my last two days as your captain and my last two days representing England," said Stokes in a clip of his dressing-room speech released by the England and Wales Cricket Board. 

- Tough task -

But for all his latest on-field heroics, with Stokes receiving applause when he led the team off at tea and a guard of honour after the resumption, England still had a tough task to avoid a seventh defeat in nine Tests.

Mitchell batted for more than six-and-a-half hours, facing 241 balls including 10 fours, as well as a six off Josh Tongue.

He also shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 129 with Rachin Ravindra, who fell agonisingly short of a century before being dismissed for 94.

Mitchell also received good support from tailender Ben Sears. 

Having retired hurt, Sears returned at the fall of the ninth wicket when Mitchell as on 92 to ensure his team-mate could complete his sixth century in 39 Tests.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer, who had reduced New Zealand to 12-2 on Saturday, took two more wickets to finish with fine innings figures of 4-53 in 20 overs.

New Zealand, however, were still well-placed for what would be just their fourth series win in England in 20 attempts. 

Mitchell, 47 not out overnight, showed plenty of resilience after struck several painful blows by both Stokes and express quick Archer.

Stokes, who finished with 2-50 in 22 overs, had previously dragged England back into the match with the ball.

Stokes ended a first-innings opening stand of 317 between New Zealand captain Tom Latham (151) and Devon Conway (157) during a return of 4-70, with the Black Caps dismissed for 438 when a total in excess of 500 once seemed likely.

New Zealand were on the brink of batting through Sunday's morning session without losing a wicket until off-spinner Shoaib Bashir had Ravindra lbw.

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Ben Stokes has announced his retirement as England Test captain and from international cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement issued Sunday.

Stokes will end his England career following the conclusion of the ongoing third Test against New Zealand in Nottingham

As news spread of the 35-year-old all-rounder's decision, he received a standing ovation from the crowd at Trent Bridge and there were more cheers shortly afterwards when he dismissed New Zealand's Zak Foulkes on the fourth day of the third and deciding Test of a three-match series.

Sunday's announcement came after Stokes returned to England duty at Trent Bridge after being omitted from a 253-run defeat in the second Test at the Oval for breaking a midnight curfew, alongside teammate Gus Atkinson, while celebrating at a London nightclub following the first-Test win over New Zealand.

"Ben Stokes leaves the international game as one of England's greatest ever cricketers and one of the defining figures of his generation," said ECB chairman Richard Thompson.

"His performances under pressure, his relentless competitiveness and his ability to produce the extraordinary when it matters most have given me and millions of other fans memories that will endure forever. 

"Whether inspiring victory in the biggest moments -- not least driving England to World Cup wins in 2019 and 2022 and his heroic Ashes innings at Headingley -- or leading the Test team with courage and conviction, Ben has been a talismanic figure in English cricket."

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Yoane Wissa scored twice as DR Congo beat Uzbekistan 3-1 and qualified for the last 32 of the World Cup for the first time in their history on Saturday.

They will meet England after registering their ever World Cup win.

Eldor Shomurodov's lob over Lionel Mpasi gave the Uzbeks a perfect start in Atlanta.

But Newcastle striker Wissa levelled from the penalty spot before Fiston Mayele's goal sent the mainly Congolese crowd into a frenzy.

Wissa rounded off a historic night for the Africans with a fine strike in stoppage time for his third goal of the tournament.

Uzbekistan knew before kick-off they were realistically elminated given the massive swing in goal difference they would need to progress.

However, Italian great Fabio Cannavaro stressed the importance of a win as a legacy for their first World Cup appearance and his players flew out of the traps.

Shomurodov smashed home after just 30 seconds but was flagged offside 

Uzbekistan's captain and all-time leading scorer had to wait just 10 minutes longer for his moment to savour.

The Istanbul Basaksehir striker produced a sumptuous lob over Mpasi from a narrow angle.

Nathanael Mbuku thought he had brought the Congolese level with an equally fine strike that arrowed into the top corner.

However, after a VAR review Mbuku was punished for a soft foul on Sherzod Nasrullaev in the build-up as his hand brushed the face of the Uzbek defender.

DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre said Wissa was showing the best version of himself after a poor first season at Newcastle since a £55 million ($73 million) move from Brentford.

Wissa scored his side's equaliser in an impressive 1-1 draw against Portugal, but fired wastefully wide with a huge chance to level early in the second half.

At the other end Shomurodov nearly produced a second sublime lob as this time his effort dropped onto the roof of the net from the edge of the box.

DR Congo were beginning to run out of ideas until a rash challenge from Manchester City's Abdukodir Khusanov on Wissa gifted them a route back into the game and into the knockout stages.

Wissa picked himself up to calmly send Abduvohid Nematov the wrong way and whip up an explosion of noise from the nearly 70,000 in attendance.

Just two minutes later, the majority of the fans saw the moment of history they came for.

Meschack Elia's deflected shot held up just enough for Mayele to nip in ahead of Nematov and flick the ball into the net.

Wissa completed the comeback by curling into the far corner from the edge of the area.

Congo's progress continued a stunning World Cup so far for African sides.

Only Tunisia of the 10 African teams at the tournament have been eliminated, while Algeria can join the eight nations to have progressed to the last 32 in the final group matches later on Saturday.

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George Russell demonstrated his experience and a detailed understanding of the rules on Saturday to steer through a controversial final flying lap and seize pole position for Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix. 

The Mercedes driver, who struggled on Friday as team-mate and championship leader Kimi Antonelli set the pace in practice, bounced back by topping final practice and then grabbing pole after Max Verstappen crashed in his Red Bull. 

The four-time champion's accident -- he was unhurt after hitting the barriers at Turn Nine -- prompted waved single yellow flags that Russell knew he should lift off briefly for while others behind him, including Italian teenager Antonelli, mistakenly believed they were double yellows and aborted their laps. 

This meant Russell lost time, but not his lap as he outpaced both Ferraris to secure his fourth pole of the season and 11th of his career, leaving Antonelli lamenting his error of judgement.

"The lap was unbelievable," said British driver Russell, who was immediately behind Verstappen on track when he crashed. 

"I don't know where it came from. I saw the single yellows and made a big lift off in mid-corner. I saw the green flag. I lost a lot of time, three or four tenths or more."

Antonelli was five seconds behind Russell on his own late flying lap when he came to Turn Nine and the caution signals. 

"I thought it was a double yellow," he admitted. "So, I aborted completely and I missed the front row. It was my mistake. We were very close with George, only a tenth between us."

Russell added that he was aware of the visible difference on an electronic display screen between a solid yellow sign, denoting a single yellow, and a flashing diagonal signal denoting a double.

"It's not easy, but once you know it, you know it," he said. 

Looking ahead to Sunday's race, he added: "It's going to be very hot! The Ferraris are looking incredibly fast. In the corners, they are the fastest team, but they are a bit more 'draggy' than us, which may help us to defend."

Russell took pole with a best lap in one minute and 06.113 seconds to outpace Charles Leclerc by 0.295 and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton by 0.295 in a dramatic end to an intriguing qualifying hour.

- 'Quite crazy' -

Antonelli was fourth and Verstappen fifth ahead of defending champion Lando Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and the two Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and impressive British rookie Arvid Lindblad. 

Verstappen said it was "quite crazy" to use single waved yellow flags.

"I've only just heard of this, just now," said Verstappen. "And to me that's quite crazy."

Antonelli, 19, found the situation "a bit confusing".

"There was a car in the wall in a fast corner," said the Italian.

"In this situation, I don’t know why it didn't go double-yellow straight away, because it's a super quick corner and if you go off at the same time it can end up very badly.

"It was a bit confusing, but it's what it is. If it's a slow-speed, single yellow can be ok but fast corners should be double yellow straight away."

If the stewards had used a double yellow, as many observers expected, it would have cancelled the laps of all drivers on track – and handed the front row of the grid to Leclerc and Hamilton. 

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The Democratic Republic of Congo became the latest underdogs to roar at the World Cup on Saturday, battling into the knockout rounds for the first time as Iran's rollercoaster campaign ended in elimination.

A chaotic finale to the tournament's expanded group phase saw Austria and Algeria fill the final two berths in the last 32 late Saturday after battling to an extraordinary 3-3 draw in Group J -- a result that dashed Iran's hopes of advancing from their group.

A win for either Austria or Algeria would have allowed Iran to squeeze into the last 32, and it looked as if the Asian side would advance when Riyadh Mahrez scored in the third minute of stoppage time to put the Algerians into a 3-2 lead.

But Iranian joy was shortlived when Sasa Kalajdzic arrowed in a header in the sixth minute of injury time to snatch a draw for Austria and spark pandemonium in Kansas City.

It was the final act of another enthralling day at the tournament which saw DR Congo emulate fellow African minnows Cape Verde by reaching the knockouts following a 3-1 defeat of Uzbekistan.

DR Congo's win in Atlanta -- their first ever victory in a World Cup match -- was enough to secure third place in Group K, setting up a dream clash with England in the next round.

"We love our national team. We love what we represent. I think tonight we just showed what it means for us is just to fight no matter what," said DR Congo striker Yoane Wissa.

"It's not easy in our country. There's a war in East Congo. Every day, every time we wear this shirt, we think about them."

DR Congo's progression continued a stunning World Cup for African sides. Only one of 10 African teams -- Tunisia -- failed to reach the second round.

- Messi scores again -

Elsewhere on Saturday, Argentina maestro Lionel Messi took his tally at the tournament to an incredible six goals in three matches after coming off the bench to score in the South Americans' 3-1 defeat of Jordan.

Argentina had already assured themselves of top spot in Group J following wins over Austria and Algeria, and were always in control against the eliminated Jordanians in a dead rubber in Arlington, Texas.

Messi's latest strike took his career World Cup tally to a record-extending 19 goals.

Earlier, England ensured their passage to the knockout rounds as Group L winners with a laboured 2-0 defeat of Panama at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane scored the goals that set up their date with the DR Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Colombia topped Group K after holding Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal to a 0-0 draw in Miami -- a result that means the Portuguese will now face Croatia in the last 32.

England were made to work hard by a well-organised Panama team and looked to be heading for a repeat of their lacklustre 0-0 draw with Ghana until Bellingham opened the scoring on 62 minutes before providing an assist for Kane five minutes later.

"It was what we expected: a tough match against a physical opponent," England manager Thomas Tuchel said. 

"They are a difficult team to score against and we were the only team to create this amount of chances and score twice."

Croatia meanwhile made sure of claiming second place in the group behind England with a 2-1 victory over Ghana in Philadelphia.

Petar Sucic and Nikola Vlasic scored the goals for Croatia, as Ghana were forced to settle for third.

Croatia's win extinguished Scotland's hopes of squeezing into the last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams, sealing their elimination from the tournament. Scotland manager Steve Clarke promptly resigned.

Portugal had gone into their tussle with Colombia in Miami needing a win to top the group -- and give themselves a theoretically easier route in the knockout rounds.

But after a thrilling, end-to-end battle Portugal had to settle for a point against a Colombia team who so nearly snatched a win in the dying minutes only to see a fractional offside decision deny them a winning goal.

The result means Portugal will face a tricky tie with the experienced Croatians in the last 32 -- and potentially a meeting with European champions Spain in the last 16.

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Cape Verde wrote another chapter in their fairytale debut World Cup campaign on Friday, battling into the knockout rounds for the first time to set up a dream showdown with Lionel Messi's Argentina.

The tiny Atlantic archipelago drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia to clinch second place in Group H and advance to the last 32 where they will face defending champions Argentina at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium on July 3.

Cape Verde's third consecutive draw saw them finish the group with three points, behind European champions Spain who made sure of top spot with a 1-0 defeat of Uruguay.

Two-time World Cup-winners Uruguay, who were stunned by Cape Verde in a 2-2 draw last Sunday in their second game, were eliminated from the competition with just two points.

The Group H results brought further clarity to the knockout rounds, ensuring that England, Portugal, Ghana, Egypt and Paraguay would also advance.

Earlier Friday, France lit up the tournament with another dazzling attacking performance, swatting aside Norway 4-1 to clinch top spot in Group I.

France's reigning Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick as Les Bleus maintained their 100 percent start to the tournament at the Gillette Stadium.

The pre-match hype had focused on a duel between France striker Kylian Mbappe and Norwegian counterpart Erling Haaland.

But that much-anticipated showdown never materialised after Norway opted to leave Manchester City star Haaland on the bench.

Instead it was left to Dembele to grab centre-stage from team-mate Mbappe, scoring three times in the opening 32 minutes to set up the win. Dembele's PSG team-mate Desire Doue bagged France's fourth in stoppage time to complete the scoring.

- 'Important moment' -

Dembele later played down the significance of his quick-fire hat-trick, turning his attention to the bigger challenges awaiting in the knockout rounds.

"It's a unique and important moment for me but I preferred my performances against Senegal or Iraq," Dembele said.

"I think I was much more influential in those games. I believe we need to stay focused because there are important things ahead."

Friday's game had gone ahead against a troubled backdrop for France, with coach Didier Deschamps leaving the team earlier this week following the death of his mother.

Both teams meanwhile paid tribute to the victims of the devastating Venezuela earthquake just before kick-off, lining up for a moment of silence.

France will now face Sweden in the last 32, while Norway take on Ivory Coast in Dallas on June 30 for a place in the last 16.

Senegal meanwhile gave themselves a fighting chance of reaching the last 32 with a 5-0 drubbing of Iraq in their final group game, boosting their goal difference to win their first points of the tournament.

The west Africans, who have three points, must now wait for the remaining group games elsewhere to play out before learning if they have done enough to squeeze into the knockouts.

"Our future is no longer in our own hands," Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. "We will have to wait and see. But we got the job done." 

Later Friday in Group G, Egypt are aiming to clinch top spot with victory over Iran in Seattle in a game that has been laced with controversy.

Friday's game is part of city-wide events to celebrate Pride in Seattle, and was designated as the "Pride Match" by local officials before the identities of the teams involved was known.

Iranian and Egyptian officials have both raised objections to the Seattle Pride celebrations around their fixture.

Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death. In Egypt, homosexuality is often penalized under vaguely worded laws prohibiting "debauchery." 

In the other Group G game, Belgium's ageing squad featuring Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will attempt to reach the knockout rounds with a victory over New Zealand.

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