The batting numbers from England’s 3-0 ODI loss in New Zealand make for grim reading, especially with The Ashes on the way.
Game one: 223 all out in 35.2 overs. Game two: 175 all out in 36 overs. Game three: 222 all out in 40.2 overs.
Put in to bat, collapsed and lost despite admirable fightbacks with the ball. That was the story, three times over.
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Jacob Bethell failed to press his Ashes claims with three low scores in New Zealand
Perhaps the most alarming statistic is that the 84 runs England’s top four managed across the three games is the fewest in ODI history in a series in which a side has batted at least three times – five worse off than the 89 hit by Bangladesh at the 1988 Asia Cup.
Considering that top four was entirely comprised of players in England’s Ashes squad (Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton, before Harry Brook jumped above Bethell to No 4 in Wellington), that would appear a significant concern ahead of the opening Test in Australia.
Just not for Kevin Pietersen.
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McCullum: No excuses come Australia
Opener Ben Duckett notched just 11 runs in three tries, out for two, one and eight, and the left-hander has not passed 50 in 14 innings – for either England or Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred – since the final Test against India at The Kia Oval in July.
At least he has a raft of warm-up games to get his eye back in ahead of The Ashes…. Ah, no he doesn’t, with the tourists only playing one tune-up fixture, against England Lions, before tackling Australia at Optus Stadium in Perth from November 21.
Asked whether England will head to Australia with scars, head coach Brendon McCullum said: “No, I don’t envisage that. It’s a different form of the game and it’s a completely different kind of challenge that we’re going to be confronted with as well.
Brendon McCullum says his England side will not take scars into the Ashes series against Australia
“When we come across trickier conditions in Australia and Test cricket, we have a pretty good understanding of how we’re going to go about it. It doesn’t guarantee us anything but it gives us a level of confidence going into that series.
“Smith, Root and Duckett, they’ll be better for the run, too. They’ve marked centre a few times and gone through the process. We’ll have no excuses come Australia.”
England ‘can’t wait to get started’ in Ashes
England have lost 13 and drawn two of their last 15 Tests in Australia since winning 3-1 under Sir Andrew Strauss in 2010/11.
But hopes of regaining the Ashes for the first time in over a decade have been boosted with the news that Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss at least the first Test with a back injury.
Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss the Ashes opener from November 21 with a back injury
McCullum added: “I’m proper excited. We are incredibly respectful of the challenge Australia is going to present us, we know how hard that tour is going to be.
“It’s going to require a team to stay together right throughout, to be as strong as we can to try and block out any of the outside noise. We can’t wait to get started.”
McCullum will just hope his batters can get started with Smith, Duckett, Root and Bethell recording eight single-digit dismissals out of 12 in the ODI series whitewash in New Zealand, albeit in difficult conditions against the seaming and swinging ball.
There will be tweaks to the batting line-up in Australia, with Duckett to be partnered by Zak Crawley as Jamie Smith switches to his Test spot of No 7 and talismanic Ben Stokes coming back in.
Duckett has not passed fifty in 14 innings for club or country
Ollie Pope will likely play, too, with Bethell not exactly seizing his shot at usurping his fellow batters as the red-ball side’s No 3 during the New Zealand series. Plus, as McCullum added, in Test cricket, “we have our template and understand how to play”.
England fans have woken up to sorry-looking scorecards over the last week. They will now be hoping history does not repeat itself in The Ashes.
No scars, says McCullum. Let’s see.
New Zealand vs England – full results
- First T20 (Christchurch): Match abandoned ☔🤦
- Second T20 (Christchurch): England win by 65 runs 🔴
- Third T20 (Auckland): Match abandoned ☔🤦
- First ODI (Mt Maunganui): New Zealand win by four wickets âš«
- Second ODI (Hamilton): New Zealand won by five wickets âš«
- Third ODI (Wellington): New Zealand won by two wickets âš«
Ashes series in Australia 2025-26
All times UK and Ireland
- First Test: Friday November 21 – Tuesday November 25 (2.30am) – Optus Stadium, Perth
- Second Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 – Monday December 8 (4.30am) – The Gabba, Brisbane
- Third Test: Wednesday December 17 – Sunday December 21 (12am) – Adelaide Oval
- Fourth Test: Thursday December 25 – Monday December 29 (11.30pm) – Melbourne Cricket Ground
- Fifth Test: Sunday January 4 – Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) – Sydney Cricket Ground