England Collapse Again as Overton Fights Lone Battle with 68 vs New Zealand

England’s batting nightmares showed no sign of ending as they were bundled out for 222 at Sky Stadium, Wellington. Jamie Overton’s maiden ODI fifty (68 off 62 balls) was the only shining moment on a gloomy scorecard. Blair Tickner (4-64) and Jacob Duffy (3-56) shared the spoils, tearing through the English lineup yet again.

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Series Slips Further Away

Having already lost the series 2-0, England’s performance in the final ODI did little to restore pride. Their innings lasted just 40.2 overs, the longest of the series but still reflected a batting unit in deep trouble ahead of the Ashes.

Early Collapse Haunts England

Inserted to bat first for the third straight time, England’s top order crumbled to 44 for 5, with none of the top four even reaching double digits. Jos Buttler and Sam Curran added a brief 53-run stand before Overton and Brydon Carse injected some late energy, adding 58 off 50 balls. Overton smashed 10 fours and two sixes, but England’s total still looked far from competitive.

Another Record for Wrong Reasons

This match also saw England set an unwanted record — their top four batters collectively managed just 84 runs across the series, the fewest ever by any team batting three or more times in ODIs. Harry Brook, who had earlier scored 135 in the first ODI, couldn’t repeat the magic and fell cheaply trying to defend a swinging delivery.

Foulkes and Duffy Dominate Early

Zak Foulkes, continuing his dream debut series, struck in his fourth ball, removing Jamie Smith with the help of DRS. Joe Root fell next to an inswinger from Foulkes, while Duffy dismissed Ben Duckett and Brook to leave England reeling at 31 for 4 inside the powerplay.

Buttler and Curran Attempt to Rebuild

Captain Jos Buttler and Sam Curran steadied the innings briefly with cautious stroke play. Buttler, after surviving some close calls, began attacking Nathan Smith and Tickner, hitting a few boundaries to bring up a 50-run partnership from 62 balls. However, Tickner struck back, removing both Curran and Buttler in quick succession to reclaim control for New Zealand.

Overton’s Late Resistance

Jamie Overton played a fearless knock, pulling and driving with confidence. His powerful hitting, including two massive sixes, gave England’s innings some respectability. Brydon Carse joined the counterattack with two huge sixes off Santner and Smith before falling for 31. Overton went on to reach his maiden ODI fifty with back-to-back boundaries, helping England add 36 runs for the final wicket and reach 222.

Despite Overton’s brilliance, England’s batting collapse continued to define their series. New Zealand’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding left little room for recovery, and England’s focus will now shift toward fixing their top-order woes before the upcoming Ashes challenge.

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