New Zealand Whitewash England 3-0 in Wellington

New Zealand completed a 3-0 ODI whitewash of England in Wellington after seamers Blair Tickner (4-64) and Jacob Duffy (3-56) exploited swing to dismiss England for 222 and then see the Black Caps home by two wickets. Jamie Overton’s maiden ODI fifty (68) and all‑round efforts nearly dragged the tourists back, but Zak Foulkes and Tickner held their nerve to seal the win. England’s top order — Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell — again collapsed early, amplifying concerns ahead of the upcoming Ashes in Australia. The defeat underlines a wider white‑ball malaise: England are eighth in the ODI rankings and have won only one bilateral series since the 2023 World Cup, raising questions about jeopardised automatic qualification pathways for future World Cups. Captain Harry Brook and pundits noted the squad’s elite talent but inconsistent performances, and commentators pointed to structural issues such as a weak domestic 50‑over competition and limited top‑six options.