- By Gurmeet Batra
- Sat, 01 Nov 2025 06:00 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
New Zealand vs England ODI Series: New Zealand sealed a 3-0 series sweep over England with a nail-biting victory in the third and final ODI of the three-match series at Sky Stadium, following up their victories in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton.
Mitchell Santner's side edged out England in a nail-biter, winning by two wickets. Earlier, England were skittled out for 222 in 40.2 overs, marking the third consecutive instance of the visitors being bowled out by the hosts in the series.
Chasing the 223-run target, the hosts faced challenges as the visitors left no page unturned to turn the tide in their favour. Openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra got off to a good start for the side, sewing a 78-run stand before the former was dismissed.
Ravindra and No. 3 batter Will Young also went back in the pavilion in the next two overs as the visiting side got key breakthroughs. It was Daryl Mitchell's innings that anchored New Zealand as he kept the momentum going from one end while wickets kept falling on the other.
Some late flourishes from skipper Santner, followed by Zak Foulkes and Tickner's crafted knock under pressure, helped the BlackCaps chase down the target in the 45th over.
Earlier, he top-order batters failed to get off to a good start as Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, and Joe Root were removed cheaply. While the two openers were sent packing for 5 and 8 runs, respectively, Root perished scoring just two runs off three deliveries as the Kiwis got three wickets inside the first five overs.
It was Jos Buttler's gradual 38, followed by Jamie Overton (68 off 62) and Brydon Carse's (36 off 30) fireworks in the later part that helped England get past the 200-run mark.
Blair Tickner continued his fine form and scalped up a four-wicket haul while Duffy bagged three as the host bowlers ran through the visitors' batting lineup.