England's Jamie Overton stunned everyone at Sun Stadium in New Zealand by hitting a six which created hole in the boundary wall. On the final ball of the 26th over, Tickner banged one short delivery, only to see Overton stand tall and muscle it flat towards the midwicket fence. The ball travelled like a bullet before smashing straight into the boundary wall leaving a visible hole.
England suffer series sweep despite Overton's heroics
England suffered another top-order collapse as New Zealand completed a dominant 3–0 whitewash in the ODI series at Wellington. Sent in to bat first, England stumbled early against a new-ball attack from Jacob Duffy and debutant Zakary Foulkes. The pair ripped through the visitors’ top order within the first five overs, removing Jamie Smith (5), Joe Root (2), and Ben Duckett (8).
Captain Harry Brook’s poor run continued as he managed only 6 before edging behind, leaving England reeling at 31 for 4. When Jacob Bethell fell soon after, the scoreboard read 44 for 5, and another batting collapse loomed large.
Jos Buttler fought hard to stabilize the innings, grinding his way to 38 off 56 balls before being bowled by Blair Tickner, who continued his fine form. Just when England looked lifeless, Jamie Overton launched a spirited counterattack. His 68 from 62 balls, featuring 10 fours and two sixes, injected much-needed momentum. Brydon Carse provided valuable support with a brisk 36 off 30 deliveries as England scraped together 222 before being bowled out in 40.2 overs. Tickner finished with a four-wicket haul, while Duffy’s early breakthroughs set the tone for New Zealand’s dominance.
Chasing 223, New Zealand started strongly through Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway, who stitched together a fluent 78-run stand in just 13 overs. Ravindra played with flair, scoring 46 off 37 before his stumps were rattled by Sam Curran. Conway contributed 34 before being run out against the flow of play, briefly giving England hope.
The visitors clawed back as wickets tumbled Will Young, Tom Latham, and Michael Bracewell fell cheaply, reducing the hosts to 147 for 5. Daryl Mitchell steadied the innings with a composed 44, but his dismissal in the 39th over left New Zealand at 196 for 8, still 27 runs adrift.
Just as England began to dream of an unlikely comeback, debutant Foulkes (14 not out) and Tickner (18 not out) showed remarkable maturity. The duo rotated strike smartly, punished loose balls, and guided New Zealand home in 44.4 overs, sealing a comfortable victory.
