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<\/p>\nSo much for England\u2019s sojourn to New Zealand serving as preparation for the Ashes. Another day, another defeat \u2014 and another top-order batting collapse. <\/p>\n
If they will be content with how Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse fared with the ball, the returns from four of the five batsmen who will head over to Australia with them have been nothing short of abject.<\/p>\n
The margin of this final ODI loss by two wickets, on the fastest pitch of the series in Wellington, may have been closer than the previous two, but it flattered England. New Zealand freakishly lost two wickets to run-outs at the non-striker\u2019s end via deflections off Carse\u2019s hand, and there was a late flurry of dismissals when the job was all but done. <\/p>\n
After Daryl Mitchell was dismissed for the first time in the series \u2014 his scores were 78 not out, 56 not out and 44 \u2014 it fell to Blair Tickner and Zak Foulkes, two of the bowlers who had made England\u2019s life so difficult, to coolly knock off the 27 needed. <\/p>\n
The defeat brought down the curtain on an ignominious year in ODI cricket in which England were beaten 11 times in 15 outings. More damning still, they were bowled out inside their allotted overs in 11 of those games, while in the other four they scored 351 for eight, 400 for eight, 325 for nine and 414 for five. This is a team that knows fifth gear, and nothing else. <\/p>\n
Their win-loss ratio for 2025 of 0.363 is their fourth worst on record, behind 2006 and two years from the era before central contracts, 1998 and 1990. No wonder they are sweating on direct qualification for the next World Cup. <\/p>\n
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Duckett, England\u2019s Test opener, failed to reach double figures for the third successive game as England slumped to 44 for five<\/p>\n
AARON GILLIONS\/SHUTTERSTOCK<\/p>\n
The decision of Rob Key, the managing director of England cricket, to extend Brendon McCullum\u2019s brief to take in the white-ball sides as well as the Test team has not had the desired effect, and raises the question as to whether the head coach is spreading himself \u2014 and his gung-ho philosophy \u2014 too thinly.<\/p>\n
England were all out in only 40.2 of their allotted 50 overs, and it could have been fewer still. Once again the tail wagged, the recovery overseen by a maiden fifty in this format from Jamie Overton, who struck a brutal 68 from 62 balls, so that a score of 44 for five, and 102 for seven, was eventually raised to 222.<\/p>\n
Overton thus completed a fine series with the bat, having scored 46 in Mount Maunganui and 42 in Hamilton, and finishing his side\u2019s top-scorer twice and second top-scorer once. He later bowled excellently to take two for 32 from his ten overs with heavy pace. <\/p>\n
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Smith is bowled by Overton, who recorded England\u2019s best figures with both bat and ball<\/p>\n
KERRY MARSHALL\/PHOTOSPORT VIA AP<\/p>\n
In mitigation, New Zealand are a formidable team in their own conditions and Harry Brook lost all three tosses, which meant England always started when conditions were best for bowling. The pitches were tricky and the ball swung, but that\u2019s the game, and as so often England were found wanting. <\/p>\n
Any inquests will focus on the top four, whose combined tally of 84 runs is the lowest by a team batting three times in any ODI series or tournament, surpassing Bangladesh\u2019s 89 at the Asia Cup in 1988. <\/p>\n
Brook batted five when he scored 34 and a spectacular 135 in the first two games, but his promotion above Jacob Bethell here achieved nothing. Both were among the five wickets to fall inside the first 14 overs while Foulkes and Jacob Duffy were in harness.<\/p>\n
Jamie Smith was caught behind off a faint top edge as he looked to force through the off side. Joe Root was trapped plumb lbw by a ball that swung sharply, while Ben Duckett was guilty of a casual swing high to leg to a ball angled across him. <\/p>\n
Brook tried to steer a ball through gully only to loop a low catch to second slip, and Bethell fell in familiar fashion, cutting uppishly at a ball close to his body and being caught high at slip. Bethell had been given the opportunity to score enough runs to seize the No3 spot for the Ashes, but he has passed it up, and it is hard to see how England now pick him ahead of Ollie Pope for the Perth Test on November 21. <\/p>\n
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Archer was the pick of England\u2019s bowlers in the second ODI and was impressive again despite taking no wickets<\/p>\n
KERRY MARSHALL\/PHOTOSPORT VIA AP<\/p>\n
Since making his maiden century in professional cricket against South Africa two months ago, he has failed to reach 30 in nine attempts. In this series he mustered only 31 runs, although he did better than Root (29), Smith (18) or Duckett (11). <\/p>\n
Jos Buttler and Curran posted a stand of 53 but Curran chopped on and Buttler was bowled by a fine nip-backer from Tickner. Overton then shared partnerships of 58 with Carse, 26 with Archer and 36 with Adil Rashid. <\/p>\n
When Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra posted 78 for the first wicket \u2014 24 of them coming off one over from Archer, who otherwise gave away little in another impressive display \u2014 it looked like New Zealand would cruise home, but Conway\u2019s unfortunate run-out triggered three wickets in 12 balls. <\/p>\n
Tom Latham became the second run-out victim but despite Rashid removing Michael Bracewell to claim his 235th ODI wicket, putting him clear of Darren Gough and into second place behind only James Anderson on England\u2019s all-time list, there was little to suggest it would be a tight finish.<\/p>\n