Here’s Simon Burnton’s match report from Wellington:
Time for me to plod off. Thanks for your company, the OBO will return!
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I do believe there is some more cricket on the horizon… the small matter of a World Cup Final and also the storied battle for a tiny urn:
A bullish Harry Brook speaks:
“I thought it was an amazing game of cricket there at the back end. For us to nearly defend that score - which probably wasn’t enough - was a great effort from the lads.”
On failings with the bat: “That’s one thing we have spoken about. We didn’t get big enough totals to defend and give the bowlers the best chance to win us the game. We’ll go back and take the learnings from this trip here and try our best to be better in the future.
“It didn’t help I didn’t win a toss as well… New Zealand are the second-best team in the world for a reason and they’ve outplayed us in this series. We just haven’t been good enough and hopefully we can bounce back.”
“The pitches were tricky. They had quite a bit in them. Their guys were swinging the ball and getting the most out of the pitch… We have got to find ways in the future if we want to be one of the best teams in the world and win major competitions.”
Winning captain Mitch Santner:
“The bowlers work hard on their batting so it’s nice to see them do it in a game. Blair Tickner had a nice high front elbow! Winning the toss first was massive. If you can get wickets in the powerplay, both Zak Foulkes and Jacob Duffy when its swinging can be challenge. Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse got them up to a score in the end.
“Today our opening partnership with the bat was outstanding. There was some good quick bowling in the first ten overs and they were able to get through that powerplay. You want guys to get the job done but also not change the way they play as well. A couple of run outs in the middle was not ideal…
“Different guys stepped up at different times in the chase. Credit to the England bowlers, they never made it easy in any of the games, especially on wickets that had a little bit in them. The way Daryl Mitchell controlled it in the middle period throughout the series was outstanding.”
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Blair Tickner is player of the match for his 4-64 and 18* with the bat:
“I actually got a bat out of the shed! I don’t have a kit sponsor at the moment so I just found one that felt nice. I didn’t think I’d be batting again for New Zealand so it’s nice to get us over the line.
“With the ball, I was just happy to get out there so it’s pleasing things went my way. The opening bowlers did well so I just cleaned up the tail. It’s back to the domestic ground and I’ll see what happens from here. The pitches have been enjoyable to bowl on.”
Daryl Mitchell is player of the series:
“It was awesome to see Blair Tickner and Zak Foulkes do the job at the end there. It was an exciting game of cricket on a challenging surface. Both myself and Devon Conway have got a few war wounds from wearing a few but it was about building a partnership and putting pressure back on them when you can.
“The pitches in this series were challenge at times. It’s the nature of early season in New Zealand that the ball will do a bit so it’s good to walk away with the series win.”
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England looked like they might pinch the win but New Zealand kept their heads to chase the below par target with a couple of wickets and six overs in hand. In truth, it was Englands batting that cost them once more – you don’t win many matches after being reduced to 44-5.
New Zealand win by 2 wickets (with 32 balls remaining)
Foulkes and Tickner get New Zealand over the line!
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44th over: New Zealand 219-8 (Tickner 15, Foulkes 10) Foulkes sweeps Rashid’s final ball of the over for four! New Zealand nearly, nearly over the line. Four more runs to win!
43rd over: New Zealand 214-8 (Tickner 13, Foulkes 6) Curran with a slip in place. Can’t find the breakthrough, one single taken off he first ball by Tickner and Foulkes blocks out the rest.
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42nd over: New Zealand 213-8 (Tickner 13, Foulkes 6) Rashid tries to bamboozle the tailenders but there’s no dice this over. Three singles rotated, ten runs needed for New Zealand.
41st over: New Zealand 210-8 (Tickner 11, Foulkes 5) Tickner top edges Curran over Buttler for four! 15 needed for New Zealand. Make that 14 as a quick single is pilfered. Curran sends down an erratic bouncer to gift a wide too. 13 needed…
40th over: New Zealand 204-8 (Tickner 6, Foulkes 5) Shot! Tickner drives Rashid through cover for four! Rashid sends down the googly next but Tickner is back in his crease and picks up a single to mid on. New Zealand need 19 runs, England need two wickets.
39th over: New Zealand 196-8 (Tickner 0, Foulkes 3) Tickner is New Zealand’s penultimate man, England move a slip in for Curran as they try and finish this off. Wicket maiden, 27 runs plays two wickets.
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WICKET! Daryl Mitchell c †Buttler b Curran 44 (New Zealand 196-8)
Sam Curran returns, can he work his golden arm? Yes! Mitchell pays away from his body and feathers an edge through to Buttler! England have the big one in the bag and need just two more wickets to pull off an improbable win.
38th over: New Zealand 196-7 (Mitchell 44, Smith 3) Four runs collected off Rashid. There’s real tension out there now. New Zealand need 27, England need 3 wickets.
37th over: New Zealand 192-7 (Mitchell 40, Smith 1) Zak Foulkes survives the rest of Overton’s over and nicks a single off the last ball. Maybe not the wisest move. That’s Englands quick men bowled out. All eyes on Daryl Mitchell now, can he see his side home?
WICKET! Nathan Smith b Overton 2 (New Zealand 191-7)
Now then! Overton castles Smith and England have a sniff now!
36th over: New Zealand 190-6 (Mitchell 40, Smith 0) Nathan Smith joins Mitchell in the middle. New Zealand need 33 more, England need four wickets.
WICKET! Mitchell Santner c Brook b Carse 27 (New Zealand 188-6)
Gone! Santner mistimes a pull and Carse gets his revenge. A twist in the tale yet?
35th over: New Zealand 187-5 (Mitchell 40, Santner 27) Four more to Santner as he square drives Overton in style. Decent cameo this from the skipper, his side need just 36 more.
34th over: New Zealand 183-5 (Mitchell 40, Santner 23) Carse is crestfallen as he gives up another FREE HIT that is duly sent soaring for SIX over point by Santner! Shot of the day/week/year from the New Zealand captain. A checked drive and hold the pose! Mitchell clubs four more and the inside edges another to make it 16 off the over.
33rd over: New Zealand 167-5 (Mitchell 32, Santner 17) Jamie Overton into his eighth over, four singles and a leg bye collected by Mitchell and Santner. 56 needed from 17 overs.
32nd over: New Zealand 162-5 (Mitchell 31, Santner 14) Mitch Santner slogs Adil Rashid outta the ground! A huge strike for SIX follows a sweep for four, a better approach from New Zealand than trying to nudge and nurdle themselves over the line. 11 runs off the over, 61 needed for the Kiwi clean sweep.
31st over: New Zealand 151-5 (Mitchell 31, Santner 3) Just a couple off Jamie Overton. The runs have dried a little but England need to keep taking wickets.
30th over: New Zealand 148-5 (Mitchell 31, Santner 1) Mitch Santner joins Mitchell in the middle and pushes Rashid for a single to get off the mark. His side need 75 from 20 overs.
WICKET! Michael Bracewell c Bethell b Rashid 13 (New Zealand 147-5)
Gone! Bracewell slog sweeps Rashid first ball and holes out to Bethell on the square leg fence. Game on!
29th over: New Zealand 147-4 (Mitchell 31, Bracewell 13) Just a couple off the returning Jamie Overton. Harry Brook turns to spin, here comes Adil Rashid…
28th over: New Zealand 145-4 (Mitchell 30, Bracewell 12) Shot! Mitchell clubs a back of a length ball from Curran for SIX. Perhaps we’ll see New Zealand motor towards the finish line now. 78 more runs needed.
27th over: New Zealand 137-4 (Mitchell 23, Bracewell 11) Archer to bowl his final over and he finishes with a maiden, New Zealand not taking any risks off England’s main man. He finishes with 0-53 off his ten witn two maidens. That one over of 24 runs spoiling his day a little.
26th over: New Zealand 137-4 (Mitchell 23, Bracewell 11) Curran bustles in and sends down a short ball that Bracewell whistles away to the fence on the pull. Curran pins him on the pad next ball but it was going over the top of the stumps and England know it. Bracewell’s bat gets stuck in the turf as he attempts a quick single off the next ball, that was out with a direct hit!
25th over: New Zealand 130-4 (Mitchell 21, Bracewell 6) Archer into his ninth over, we might see him bowl out here. Just three single off the over. We reach the halfway stage in the innings, New Zealand are four down and need 93 more runs to win.
24th over: New Zealand 127-4 (Mitchell 19, Bracewell 5) Curran replaces Carse, Mitchell takes a single from the first ball and Bracewell can’t return the favour, blocking out five dots and the rest of the over.
23rd over: New Zealand 126-4 (Mitchell 18, Bracewell 5) Archer slams in a short ball and it soars over Buttler’s head nevermind Mitchell’s, five wides. Mitchell tries a wild hack at the fifth ball after being tied down. 97 needed from 27 overs.
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22nd over: New Zealand 120-4 (Mitchell 17, Bracewell 5) Bracewell joins Mitchell in the middle. This is a key partnership now, Mitchell is the big wicket for England but as I type that Bracewell plays a lovely drive down the ground for four to get off the mark. New Zealand need 103 more to complete the clean sweep.
WICKET! Tom Latham run out (Carse) 10 (New Zealand 113-4)
Lighting strikes twice at the non-striker’s end! Mitchell drives, Carse deflects unwittingly and Latham is short of his ground!
21st over: New Zealand 113-3 (Mitchell 15, Latham 10) Archer is miserly, just a single to Mitchell off his seventh over.
20th over: New Zealand 112-3 (Mitchell 14, Latham 10) Carse is livid with himself as he oversteps to gift a free hit to Mitchell. He limits the damage to a single with a speared in yorker. Five in total off the over.
19th over: New Zealand 107-3 (Mitchell 12, Latham 8) Mitchell swivels a short ball away for four past fine leg but otherwise Archer is accurate and zoning in on the front pad.
18th over: New Zealand 103-3 (Mitchell 8, Latham 8) Probing stuff from Carse who beats the edge of Latham’s blade a couple of times in the over. Brook has summoned Archer once more, his last over was clubbed for 24…
17th over: New Zealand 100-3 (Mitchell 7, Latham 6) Latham unfurls a lovely cover punch for four off Overton. Two more singles bring up the Kiwi 100. (England were 69-5 at the same stage)
16th over: New Zealand 94-3 (Mitchell 6, Latham 1) England buzz about with more intensity now they have a puncher’s chance, just a couple off the returning Carse. New Zealand still favourites with 129 needed from 34 overs. A few more in that wickets column though…
15th over: New Zealand 92-3 (Mitchell 5, Latham 0) Tom Latham joins Moose Mitchell in the middle with the Kiwis wobbling. Harry Brook calls Brydon Carse into the attack, the only way England win this game is by taking all ten wickets.
WICKET! Will Young c †Buttler b Overton 1 (New Zealand 92-3)
Young has a wild hack to Overton and the top edge is well pouched by Buttler with the cymbals. New Zealand were cruising but have lost three wickets in as many overs.
14th over: New Zealand 90-1 (Young 0, Mitchell 4) The in-form Darly Mitchell arrives in the middle. Curran spears in a bouncer that clips the new batter’s lid and flies away for four. Four! Mitchell cloths a drive but gets enough on it to pick up four wide of long on.
WICKET! Rachin Ravindra b Curran 46 (New Zealand 81-2)
From nowhere Ravindra is bowled by Curran and New Zealand have lost both their openers is quick succession. A booming drive to a full ball, it clipped the back leg and rattled the leg stump. Ravindra’s fun is over and England have a sniff.
13th over: New Zealand 79-1 (Ravindra 44, Young 0) Will Young arrives at first drop but Ravindra keeps the strike with a single crunched to the off side boundary rider.
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WICKET! Devon Conway run out (Overton) 34 (New Zealand 78-1)
Conway flicks Overton off his hip for four and takes a single to get down the non striker’s end… where he is run out next ball! That is rotten luck but England will take it – Ravindra pings a drive back at Overton, the ball ricocheting off the bowler and onto the stumps with Conway out of his ground.
12th over: New Zealand 72-0 (Conway 29, Ravindra 42) Archer does take a breather this time. Still spewing about that last over no doubt. Sam Curran bustles in with bleached mullet and a look of fierce competition on his chops. He can’t get the breakthrough though and is pocketed for five runs, this opening stand has knocked the stuffing out of England. It has not been a great tour for them, on the pitch at least.
11th over: New Zealand 67-0 (Conway 27, Ravindra 39) Overton clipped for three singles with half of the ground in shadow as the sun sets in Wellington, the sky is as black as treacle here in deepest Sussex. We’ve had 11 overs, at the same stage England were 53-5!
10th over: New Zealand 64-0 (Conway 26, Ravindra 37) Its a change of ends for Jofra but Ravindra greets his first ball with a delicious drive through mid off and then slaps a short ball over square leg for a one bounce four. Yikes! Conway is then nearly run out by Harry Brook from a scampered single, he didn’t run his bat in but luckily for him his heel had just hit the turf before the ball splattered the stumps.
Terrible running but New Zealand pick up five as the ball went to the boundary off the stumps. SIX! Conway makes up for his ropey running with a glorious upper cut into the stands. Archer is not happy and slams down a bouncer that is called a wide. A length ball is then rasped to the fence on the cut by Conway to make it 24 runs off the over. Cripes.
9th over: New Zealand 40-0 (Conway 16, Ravindra 24) Jamie Overton replaces Jofra, Harry Brook shuffles his pack in search of a breakthrough. Conway swishes outside off stump to consecutive balls and is frustrated not to get bat on ball. A maiden to start with from the hulking Joverton.
8th over: New Zealand 40-0 (Conway 16, Ravindra 24) Rachin Ravindra is a joy to watch. Carse goes short and is pongoed over midwicket for four with disdain. A fuller ball aimed at the ribs is then flicked away with Swiss clock timing to the leg side fence. Brilliant batting.
7th over: New Zealand 31-0 (Conway 15, Ravindra 16) Just a ramped single from Conway off Archer’s latest. Ravindra tries a big yahooo off the final ball but connects only with fresh air.
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6th over: New Zealand 30-0 (Conway 14, Ravindra 16) Ravindra looks in fine fettle, he drives Carse on the up for four and then gets a top edge that flies over the keeper for a second boundary. New Zealand landing some early blows, England need a wicket pronto.
5th over: New Zealand 22-0 (Conway 14, Ravindra 8) A probing over from Archer as England seek the early breakthrough. He gets one to spit at Conway who flaps and narrowly avoids getting a top edge. Just a single off the over.
4th over: New Zealand 21-0 (Conway 14, Ravindra 7) Ravindra pings Carse through the covers with an immaculate drive, hight elbow, nimble footwork. Be still my…
3rd over: New Zealand 15-0 (Conway 13, Ravindra 2) SIX! Conway bunts Archer over his head and over the ropes! That’s some shot, nothing but a checked push but it was sweetly timed. Buzzers! England concede five as Harry Brook whangs in a throw that Adil Rashid fails to gather backing up, Conway getting bang for his buck for a push to mid on.
2nd over: New Zealand 2-0 (Conway 1, Ravindra 1) Brydon Carse to Rachin Ravindra. New Zealand open their account with a prod to cover for a single. Close! Carse slams one in at Conway and the batter gloves it away, the ball spinning back past leg stump by a whisker. Conway survives and gets off the mark off the final ball with a poke into the off side. Decent start from England with the ball.
1st over: New Zealand 0-0 (Conway 0, Ravindra 0) Archer makes the new ball dance with two slips in place. Conway is beaten by a ball that jags away late and shoulders arms to a couple. Top bowling from Jofra, he stitches together a maiden first up.
Thanks Tanya for doing the graveyard shift, on Halloween too. Jofra Archer has the ball in hand for England, they need him to do something special and spook the Kiwi top order. Let’s play!
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New Zealand’s opening bowlers Duffy and Foulkes caused chaos with the swinging ball, and Tickner pretty much did the rest, with joie de vivre and a stinging ball.
Jim Wallace will expertly guide you through what England’s bowlers can do in return. Thanks for your company through the night, I’m off to bed.
The good news is that England batted for longer than they have this series, reaching the heady heights of 40 overs. The bad news is that the top order – bar Root who got a good ball, and Buttler who knuckled down – were chaotic again, as if their batting was choreographed by a dare.
Luckily, Jamie Overton, with support from Brydon Carse, took England from 102-7 to respectability with an innings of power-hitting.
WICKET! Overton c Young b Santer 68 (England 222 all out)
Overton’s eyes widen as Santner tempts him with something juicy and wide, but this time he has to over-stretch, miscues and Young at takes the skier.
40.2 overs (Rashid 1) England 222
40th over: England 222-9 (Overton 68, Rashid 1) Tickner’s final over. Half the ground in shade, the spectators in the sunny side, speckled over the yellow seats like generous shakes of pepper. Overton strides down the pitch and biffs Tickner straight for four, then opens his stance and hauls six 96 metres legside, scattering the crowd. These runs will be soul-destroying for New Zealand.
39th over: England 209-9 (Overton 55, Rashid 1) Another four from Overton, this time traversing cover off Duffy.
Fifty for Jamie Overton
38th over: England 203-9 (Overton 51, Rashid 0) Clonk, clank – Overton outfoxes Tickner with two successive fours to reach a maiden ODI fifty at a run a ball and rescue this innings.
37th over: England 186-9 (Overton 42, Rashid 0) Overton has the hurry-up running through his blood now – clonks two fours off Duffy. Big ones too.
“Jofra Archer was in just long enough for me to notice that he batted wearing a wristwatch.” writes Max Bonnell. “This must be the most gratuitous piece of sponsored product placement ever. I mean, what possible purpose does a watch serve while you’re batting? It would be mildly amusing to see what would happen if it were struck by a ball, but otherwise, what a ridiculous activity.”
I love the idea he might check the time between balls. I think Tickner might be wearing one too – but he’s bouncing up and down so much I can’t be certain. My son has one that doesn’t work (!?) but just wears it for the look -could be this?
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WICKET! Archer c Bracewell b Tickner 16 (New Zealand 186-9
Archer winds up for another big hit but can only splice it to mid on. Hangs his head before he walks off
36th over: England 186-9 (Overton 34, Rashid 0) Overton is clonked on the thigh by Tickner, who opens his mouth to roar like a huge injured bear. Archer pulls four to the boundary with a flourish. Tries to go again but this time must leave the arena. On the sofa, the dog woofs quietly in her sleep
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35th over: England 179-8 (Overton 33, Archer 10) Duffy is back, neat until the last ball is turned by Archer and for the third time today, New Zealand usher the ball over the boundary.
34th over: England 173-8 (Overton 33, Archer 4) Overton square cuts Tickner with rolling wrists for a big man. A handful of singles – and some good Kiwi fielding – then a leading edge off Archer but Conway can’t hold on, diving at point.
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33rd over: England 164-8 (Overton 26, Archer 2) Archer gets off strike to a misfield, much to the guilty fielder’s frustration. Santner, round arm, wheels in. Can England pass 36 overs for the first time today? 35.2 and 36 are all they’ve managed so far in the first two games.
32nd over: England 161-8 (Overton 24, Archer 1) Tickner can’t stop grinning, brought back into the attack and makes the breakthrough with his third ball.
WICKET! Carse c Mitchell b Tickner 36 (England 160-8)
A paint by numbers holler at a back of a length ball gives Mitchell a tricky skier to hold onto, which he does with aplomb.
31st over: England 159-7 (Overton 23, Carse 36) Had to make a cup of tea to stay awake, missed a meaty Overton four.
30th over: England 152-7 (Overton 17, Carse 35) Another HUGE six, clubbed high and into the yellow seats by Carse. And another! Over his shoulder like a mouldy potato. The fifty partnership comes up from 40 balls. Plays and misses at the last. DRINKS, with England recovering.
29th over: England 138-7 (Overton 16, Carse 23) This is looking. rather more cheerful for England, back to back sixes by Carse who slog-sweeps Santner way over the rope.
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28th over: England 126-7 (Overton 16, Carse 11) A big meaty slice by Overton off Smith and the ball flies for four. Almost out a couple of balls later when he loops the ball just short of mid-off.
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27th over: England 121-7 (Overton 11, Carse 12) The two big men starting to throw their weight around here. Carse finishes the over by pounding Santner to mid-off, where Duffy misfields ot the let the ball run for four.
26th over: England 113-7 (Overton 5, Carse 3) Overton biffs six – sorry having some technical problems here.
25th over: England 106-7 (Overton 5, Carse 3) Just three singles off Santner’s over.
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24th over: England 103-7 (Overton 4, Carse 1) Almost halfway through this innings, at least in theory. And the TV shows more blissful pictures of the harbour, the houses behind climbing into the hills. Meanwhile, outside my window, in the inky blackness, the wind blows and the rain falls.
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24th over: England 103-7 (Overton 4, Carse 1) I cannot tell you how Carse is still there, he gets a beauty from Tickner to start his innings, then has a wild mow and miss at the next two balls.
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WICKET! Buttler b Tickner 38(England 102-7)
Buttler goes after the first ball of the over again, looking for bounty, but it is a beauty that nips back and waves goodbye to Buttler’s merry drive and into the stumps.
22nd over: England 101-6 ( Buttler 37, Overton 4) Overton has been flying this series, while the top order floundered, and here muscles Tickner to the boundary second ball. The Curran-Buttler axis had just started to look good.
“Evening Tanya,” Hello Fergus in Bridport
“I’m not normally up at the time. Was doing my first pop up curry night and still feeling the energy of it all.
“Anyway. Just stopped by to say, I should have just not looked. Its easier to read about the collapse after the event, rather than witness it in real time.”
Apologies, and congratulations for your curry night. Excuse my ignorance but does that mean your house turns temporarily into a pop-up Indian restaurant?
WICKET! Curran b Tickner 17 (England 97-6)
Played on! Tries to guide the ball away but instead wafts it into his stump. A patient innings.
21st over: England 96-5 ( Buttler 36, Curran 17) This time Curran gets stuck in, nods at a shorter ball from Smith and pulls him for four.
20th over: England 92-5 ( Buttler 36, Curran 13)And again, two fours off the first two balls of the over. Buttler has the bit between his teeth. With twinkling toes he pounds Tickner for four, and again, as he advances down the pitch and shimmy-shimmies down the ground. A great take from Latham stops a wide flying down to the rope.
19th over: England 81-5 ( Buttler 27, Curran 12) Back-to-back boundaries off Smith’s first two balls as Buttler bananas the first through mid off and scoops the next, with wiggling shoulder.
18th over: England 70-5 ( Buttler 17, Curran 11) Blair Tickner now, great to see him back in a New Zealand shirt, clockwork doll action and tattooed arm. He screams with scrambled seam through the gap but misses Buttler’s stump. One from the over.
Simon spoke to Tickner last week
17th over: England 69-5 ( Buttler 16, Curran 11) Smith is teasing Buttler, who walks across his stumps but is still beaten on the outside edge. Picks up a single – and that’s it for the over.
“Thank you for bringing up parma violet,” sayd David Timms.”Possibly the worst candy ever made. Fortunately, they now do gin, and a household fragrance.” They taste like a household fragrance.
16th over: England 68-5 ( Buttler 15, Curran 11) Foulkes does get another but his first ball is a long hop and Curran is quick to fizz it through the covers for four. Nearly undone next ball though, searching for the outside edge.
15th over: England 64-5 ( Buttler 15, Curran 7) And here comes the bowling change, Nathan Smith, dark hair, hint of a mullet, neat moustache, right arm quick-ish. Buttler waits out four dot balls then drives a wider ball through the covers for four.
14th over: England 59-5 ( Buttler 11, Curran 6) Calm has returned, as Buttler and Curran see through another over, waiting, I guess, for a change of bowling. Foulkes still making the ball sing. They take DRINKS.
To be fair to Mark Kelly he sent this email an hour ago. “How are England favourites for this game? The betting industry wouldn’t be a thing without mugs like me but I just don’t get it.
Yeah I bet on England anyway. Don’t judge me.” Mark…
13th over: England 57-5 ( Buttler 10, Curran 5) It’s not fun to bat at Wellington on a sunny day, the commentators say. It’s when the ball swings. Hopefully England have worked that out now. A couple of firmly run singles, Buttler sprints down the pitch and lands and slides on his belly.
12th over: England 55-5 ( Buttler 9, Curran 4) A couple of wides again from Foulkes, but they’re the only runs from the over.
“Date scones? Date scones? asks Ian Copestake. “Considering the size of dates to raisins, how big are the scones?” Perhaps chopped dates Ian?
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11th over: England 53-5 ( Buttler 9, Curran 4) A glimpse of Wellington harbour, deep blue with a white sailed boat, proves gentle respite from the England card.Parma Violet anyone? (I haven’t had one for 40 years and can now confirm they’re disgusting)
WICKET! Bethell c Mitchell b Duffy 11 (England 44-5)
Outstanding catch! Mitchell throws himself into the air at slips and holds on with both hands to Bethell’s heady slash at a wide ball. He tosses the ball behind him as he lands -all in a day’s work.
10th over: England 44-4 (Bethell 11, Buttler 5) Foulkes is making the ball sing. A corking inswinger and a huge lbw shout against Buttler – but not out and New Zealand don’t review. Tonks four next ball.
“This is threatening to become habit forming,” writes Brian Withington. “Thank goodness there’s plenty of time to recover before England next face another attack as good as NZ’s …”
9th over: England 40-4 (Bethell 11, Buttler 5) I think Buttler is key to this, a few more brains to his biff. Drives Duffy sweetly to the rope. Bethell also picks up four, though with more of a wild west approach, a thick edge wide of the slips. In between, a near run-out.
8th over: England 31-4 (Bethell 7, Buttler 0) An immaculate maiden from Foulkes.
7th over: England 31-4 (Bethell 7, Buttler 0) Bethell picks up four thanks to Ravindra accidentally throwing the ball over the boundary as he fields. Brook falls to actually one of his least aggressive shots, and then Duffy greets Buttler with a beauty of an away swinger.
WICKET! Brook c Bracewell b Duffy 6 (England 31-4)
And another! Brook props forward and slots the cheese straight to the waiting fox at second slip.
6th over: England 26-3 (Brook 6, Bethell 2) England are helped by a couple of wides from Foulkes, Bethell got a gorgeous ball first delivery that straightens, but Brook edges four later in the over.
5th over: England 19-3 (Brook 2, Bethell 1) This is the first I’ve seen of this series and it’s a dog’s breakfast so far. Straight in, food everywhere, and a right mess all over the kitchen floor.
WICKET! Duckett c Ravindar b Duffy 8 (England 17-3)
Um. Duckett pulls/hacks, top edges and Ravindra takes a running catch at mid-on. Not pretty.
4th over: England 17-2 (Duckett 8, Brook 2) Another low score for Root in what has been a series to forget. Brook attacks his first ball as a man trying to hack out of a burning barn and nearly loses his stumps. Picks up a more sensible two later in the over.
WICKET! Root lbw Foukes 2 (England 15-2)
A corking inswinger hones in on Root’s pads. Root stuck in the crease has no answer.
3rd over: England 9-1 (Duckett 8, Root 2) Five dots and a huge six flayed by Duckett over deep square leg off Duffy.
2nd over: England 9-1 (Duckett 2, Root 2) A very good over by Foulkes and his long-legged run-up. Smith cracked four from his first ball, but was nearly bowled by his third which licked in and just over the stumps. Lost his wicket next ball. .
WICKET! Smith c b Foulkes (England 7-0)
New Zealand are very confident that they will overturn the not-out decision on the field… and so they should be. Paul Reiffel is the TV umpire and soon finds the guilty spike. A gung-ho slap Smith’s downfall.
1st over: England 3-0 (Smith 1, Duckett 2) England off the mark with a streaky outside edge as Smith throws bat at ball. A decent first over from Duffy. I reach into the leftover Halloween chocolate and pull out some Love Hearts. DREAM BIG is the instruction.
A moment’s silence for young Ben Austin, who died after being hit in the nets while practising in Melbourne.
Grant Elliot has the microphone, and very suave he looks too in his brown Chelsea boots and green cords. Apparently 296 is the average score for a winning team here. But are England listening?
Aha! A message drops from the Guardian’s Simon Burnton, fresh from a date scone.
“Morning/afternoon/whatever Tanya. So, we’ve reached the end. The end of the tour - or at least this leg of it - and of England’s white-ball 2025. It’s been a rather ignominious end, for all that Harry Brook’s side “won” the “T20 series” that preceded these three ODIs.
“And the curtain comes down in Wellington’s Sky Stadium, which is expected to be less than a quarter full for the game. England trained yesterday at the Basin Reserve, the lovely bespoke cricket ground across town and perhaps the world’s finest roundabout, but for contractual reasons the match itself has to be played in a giant, echoing, sparsely-populated bowl and this is a bad thing.
“Beyond that, I have learned that Wellingtonians are extremely committed to celebrating Halloween in fully costumed and completely intoxicated style, and that date scones are the finest of all scones, with only cheese even close, and I will never understand why Britons insist on putting raisins in theirs.”
Updated
It’s a drop-in pitch and Conway reckons it might do a bit early after the weather they’ve had the last few weeks. Just going to grab a quick cup of tea, back in five.
Though this is a dead game, it could still give England valuable points as they scramble to automatically qualify for the 2027 World Cup. Simon has the details:
New Zealand XI
New Zealand XI: Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Nathan Smith, Zak Foulkes, Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy.
Conway for Williamson at the top of the order.
England XI
Unchanged.
England XI: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckertt, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
New Zealand win the toss and will bowl
There’s a very cute little boy who hands the coin over to Mitchell Santner, who duly wins the toss. “It looks like a good wicket” Santner says, “a bit of grass on it.” One change – Devon Conway replaces Kane Williamson who has a twinge in the groin.
Brook says he’d like to win a toss at some point. “We’ll go out today, play with freedom, try and have fun. We haven’t quite got the runs but we’ll try and have some presence with our batting.”
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Preamble
Good early morning! As damp skeletons skulk back home, time for England to dust themselves down for this third and final ODI in Wellington.
It is a dead game, the series already New Zealand’s. But Harry Brook will want to see lesser-spotted, runs, and lots of them. Play starts at 1am, do join us to see if England can raise their one-day game from the dead.
