-and-Mitchell-Santner-of-New-Zealand-pose-with-the-series-trophy.jpeg?ssl=1 "England’s recurring issue exposed again by New Zealand in final international before Ashes")
England’s top-order batters misfired again in their final international before the Ashes as New Zealand claimed a tense two-wicket win to seal a 3-0 ODI series clean sweep in Wellington.
Up against favourable seaming conditions after losing the toss for the third time in a row, England stumbled to 44 for five in 10.1 overs before Overton’s 68 off 62 balls helped them to 222 all out.
Overton then affected a run-out and collected two for 32 in a wholehearted all-round effort as the Black Caps slipped to 196 for eight but Zak Foulkes and Blair Tickner got them home in nervy scenes as England slipped to a 12th defeat in their last 16 one-day internationals.
A terrific bowling display was unable to mask more sorry batting, with all of the top-five who will travel to Australia next week ahead of the first Ashes Test on November 21 flopping.
Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell are all short of runs and have just one warm-up – against England Lions – to rediscover some form in the middle after failing to fire in Mount Maunganui last weekend, in Hamilton on Wednesday and on Saturday at the Sky Stadium.
Smith departed in the second over, perhaps surprised by a hint of extra bounce as an attempted cut feathered the edge off Foulkes, whose late inswing did for Root lbw.
When Duckett toe-ended a pull off Jacob Duffy to a backtracking Rachin Ravindra and Harry Brook hung out his bat and nicked to slip, it meant England’s top-four had accumulated a combined 84 runs in three ODIs, the fewest in a men’s three-match series or tournament.
Bethell, dropping a place to five, flashed Duffy to slip for 11 to finish with 31 runs for the series, not the impression the stylish left-hander would have wanted to leave as he vies for a spot in England’s Ashes XI with Ollie Pope.
Jos Buttler and Sam Curran put on 53 before having their stumps rearranged by Tickner but Overton and Brydon Carse, with four sixes in his quickfire 36, made sure they did not sink without trace.
Overton was especially impressive as he marshalled the tail, sharing 58 with Carse, 26 with Jofra Archer and 36 with Adil Rashid, in which the Surrey all-rounder contributed 34 off 22 balls to bring up his maiden ODI half-century before he was last man out.
Archer was fiery and reached 90mph but leaked 24 in one over – more than he had conceded in 10 at Hamilton – as he and Carse struggled to replicate the movement Foulkes and Duffy found earlier.
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With openers Ravindra and Devon Conway, in for the injured Kane Williamson, making hay, it took a moment of fortune to prise them apart.
Overton deflected a drive from Ravindra on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end to skewer Conway for 34, while Carse did likewise to see off Tom Latham as New Zealand lurched from 78 without loss to 113 for four, with Ravindra among the casualties for 46 after being bowled through the gate by Curran.
Michael Bracewell slog swept to Bethell when Rashid was belatedly introduced in the 30th over, while Carse got Santner to miscue to Brook in the ring and the impressive Overton castled Nathan Smith.
Daryl Mitchell’s pair of unbeaten fifties had got New Zealand over the line in the past week and he was primed to make it a treble, but he departed for 44 when Curran found his edge through to Buttler to set up a grandstand finale.
With Archer, Carse and Overton bowled out and the amount of deliveries left not a factor, Foulkes and Tickner battled away to whittle down the target from the 27 they needed when they came together into single figures.
A rapt crowd cheered their every run and after Tickner (18 not out) levelled the scores with a skewed pull, Foulkes (14no) clipped Curran fine for four as New Zealand won with 32 balls to spare.
