England failed to overcome another grim batting failure as New Zealand edged to a two-wicket victory in the third one-day international in Wellington to send the tourists to Australia on the back of a 3-0 series defeat.
England’s top order folded once more, bowled out for the third match in a row to continue a worrying trend leading into the Ashes later this month, before New Zealand threatened to botch a chase of 223.
They were cruising at 187-5, needing only 35 from 87 balls, only to lose captain Mitchell Santner for 27 and Daryl Mitchell for 44 in a collapse of 3-8.
That left 27 to get with two wickets remaining but hope of an unlikely, morale-boosting victory for England was snuffed out by an unbroken ninth-wicket partnership between Zak Foulkes and Blair Tickner.
England’s bowling effort was admirable – this defeat instead down to their latest top-order collapse, which left them 44-5.
Joe Root was out for two, captain Harry Brook six and Ben Duckett eight and they only cleared 200 thanks to Jamie Overton’s 68 – his first ODI fifty.
Seven of this XI now travel to Perth to ramp up their preparation for the highly-anticipated series against Australia, which begins on 21 November.
They play only one warm-up – a three-day match against England Lions – leaving little opportunity for those struggling batters to find form before the series opener.
Brook’s 50-over side, meanwhile, have lost 11 of their 15 matches this year and require an upturn in fortunes when they return to action in the new year or else their direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup will come under significant threat.