England’s precarious white-ball form continues to cause concern ahead of the Ashes, following a disappointing five-wicket defeat to New Zealand in the second ODI in Hamilton today.
Despite a magnificent, match-saving century from captain Harry Brook, the tourists were bundled out cheaply, handing the Black Caps an unassailable 2-0 series lead with one game remaining.
England were restricted to 175 all out in just 36 overs, a collapse that proved too much for even Jofra Archer’s inspiring bowling spell to overcome.
Brook laments batters’ lack of applicationIn the first ODI, Brook scored 135, but in the second, he managed just 34.
The captain pointed directly to the collective failure of the top order to build partnerships and absorb pressure.
“It’s disappointing to say the least. We want to get out there and entertain but it has just not come off in the last couple of games,” Brook admitted after the defeat.
“We have to dig deep again.”
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He was particularly frustrated that his efforts, which included 11 sixes in the first ODI, were insufficient, highlighting a team-wide issue rather than just an individual lapse: “The question I would ask is can we probably go a little bit harder? I think so.
“I think we can try and knock them off their lengths a little bit more and capitalise on their slightly off balls.”
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Archer stars, but batting collapses negate bowling gainsThe one major positive for England as they look toward the Test series was the explosive performance of Jofra Archer. Returning for the ODI format, Archer delivered an exceptional spell, finishing with figures of 3 wickets for 23 runs from 10 overs, bowling four maidens.
However, the batting failed spectacularly.
After Zak Foulkes (4-41) and Blair Tickner (4-34) dismantled the middle order, England’s top Test batsmen, including Joe Root and Ben Duckett, struggled for substance.
“New Zealand have just outplayed us,” Brook conceded.
“It’s pretty obvious we didn’t get enough runs. (To get) 175 against the second-best team in the world on their own patch is never going to be enough.”
The focus now shifts to salvaging pride in the final ODI, but the batting collapses are a significant concern as the squad heads into the crucial Ashes build-up phase in Perth.
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