England succumb to loss as batting struggles persist

Second one-day international, Hamilton

England 175 (36 overs): Overton 42 (28); Tickner 4-34

New Zealand 177-5 (33.1 overs): Mitchell 56* (59) Ravindra 54 (58); Archer 3-23

New Zealand triumphed by five wickets; lead series 2-0

Scorecard

England’s top order faltered again as their pre-Ashes preparations took a hit with a five-wicket loss to New Zealand in the second one-day international in Hamilton.

The visiting team was bowled out for 175 with 14 overs to spare before New Zealand successfully chased down the total with relative ease, taking the series 2-0 with one match remaining.

Jamie Overton was the top scorer for England, smashing 42 off 28 balls during a counter-attacking innings.

That performance followed starts from Test players Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, and Brook, who all managed to get some runs but couldn’t convert them into substantial scores.

Blair Tickner delivered a stellar performance with 4-34, while his fellow pacer Nathan Smith bagged 2-27 as the remainder of England’s batting lineup faltered against a solid New Zealand bowling attack.

Jofra Archer provided England with a glimmer of hope early on, dismissing opener Will Young lbw on the fourth delivery of the Black Caps’ innings.

Kane Williamson displayed his experience, calmly absorbing pressure with a determined 21 before being outed by Overton.

England’s prospects remained alive when Archer dismissed Rachin Ravindra, who was going smoothly with 54, and then caught Michael Bracewell down the leg side.

However, Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 56 and skipper Mitchell Santner’s quick-fire 34 not out guided New Zealand to victory with a comfortable 101 balls to spare.

The touring side will seek improvements in the third ODI on Saturday (01:00 GMT), while this match will primarily be remembered for:

England faced a challenging green pitch at the Bay Oval during the first ODI, and despite Brook’s stunning century, their struggling top order found it tough.

The surface at Seddon Park had a more noticeable straw-like hue, yet the outcome for their Test players, hoping to regain form before traveling across the Tasman Sea, was quite similar.

Admittedly, this collapse was not as striking as the one at Mount Maunganui, where movement through the air and off the pitch was more evident.

During the initial powerplay here, there was significantly less swing – 0.69 degrees compared to 1.31 – and seam – 0.57 degrees versus 0.89 – in contrast to Sunday.

Nonetheless, England consistently lost wickets due to a mix of good bowling, misfortune, and poor decisions.

Duckett edged a sharp ball from Jacob Duffy for just one run, continuing his lean spell since the end of the English summer.

Fellow opener Smith fell for 13, skying a ball while trying to hit Zac Foulkes across the line.

Root, having reached 25, was frustrated to miss two deliveries from Tickner down the leg side – neither flagged wide – and ended up nicking the third to Tom Latham.

At a precarious 51-3, England were in a tricky spot, but Bethell and Brook looked steady until things went awry with a poor pull shot and a slash to backward point at 18 and 34, respectively.

Overton managed to add a semblance of competitiveness to the score, although contributions from the rest of the lower order were minimal as New Zealand ruthlessly wrapped up the innings.

Could England’s batting difficulties in these initial two ODIs signal an early warning for another frustrating winter in the southern hemisphere?

Let’s hope not for the sake of England’s supporters. Yet, opportunities for England’s Test batsmen to gain middle practice before the first Ashes Test in Perth on 21 November are dwindling.