7 hours ago
13
A limited-overs whitewash across the Tasman Sea, dinting both team confidence and the prospect of safe passage to the next World Cup, is hardly ideal preparation for the Ashes.
A trio of performances lacking fluency and cohesion should not be a surprise, though. because this has been a feature of their cricket for the past three years, leading to 24 defeats in 35 one-day internationals.
Contrast this to a New Zealand team with the priceless quality of knowing how to win, especially on home soil, doing so now in 25 of their past 27 outings. Unbeaten in bilateral series for nearly seven years, they have been victorious in 10 in a row.
Given the chasm between a team ranked second in the 50-over format and tourists facing an increasing struggle to remain in the top nine over the next 18 months, thus avoiding the ignonimy of having to qualify for South Africa 2027, the 3-0 result was not unexpected.
And as England’s players dispersed on Sunday - ahead of the Test squad meeting up in Perth in a week’s time - there were positive to emerge despite the scoreline.
England were whitewashed by New Zealand in the ODIs but there were positives ahead of the Ashes
THE FITNESS OF JOFRA ARCHER …. AND MARK WOOD
Archer was simply magnificent across the final two ODIs, hitting 90 mile per hour pace effortlessly, lacing high skill with aggression.
The 30-year-old made the second match in Hamilton a game of survival for the New Zealanders despite only having a 176-run target to defend and his overall control was highlighted by six of his 20 overs being maidens. No bowler on either side could get near an exemplary economy rate of 3.8.
It appears that England’s plan to have their primary attacking weapon ready for Perth on November 21, following three years of injury hell, has worked to a tee.
And the decision to allow him to return to Barbados between the end of the English season and reporting to New Zealand - missing the first ODI as a result - appears to have been a masterstroke.
Going home was no holiday. Local observers told Daily Mail Sport that Chris Jordan, placed on a fast track coaching course by the ECB and Archer’s long-term bowling mentor, ‘beasted’ the Englsnd fast bowler during net sessions.
As a result, the 2019 World Cup star turned up in New Zealand not only happy but in arguably the best shape since he first pulled on an England shirt.
‘He obviously had a little bit time off and was late to this tour but he was training the house down in Barbados and doing plenty of skill work and fitness work. For him to get through his full set of overs twice and build towards what’s coming is a real bonus,’ said England coach Brendon McCullum.
Equally, Mark Wood was also hitting top gear between matches, after having a September setback when fluid gathered on his injured knee.
Wood, England’s best bowler on the 2021-22 Ashes, flew through the crease at the Basin Reserve on Friday, prior to the final ODI.
Jofra Archer was magnificent across the final two ODIs and England's plan to have him ready for Perth looks to have worked to a tee
Archer hit 90 mile per hour pace effortlessly and appears in his best shape since first pulling on an England shirt after three years of injury hell
TOUGH WORK FOR THE BATSMEN
Combining for 89 runs between them across 12 innings hardly sounds like ideal preparation for Ashes quartet Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell, but it is arguably better than feasting on flat tracks before heading to Australia, where pitches are said to be spicier this decade than preceding ones.
Being confronted by the moving ball, albeit a white one, might be no bad thing, as McCullum hinted when he said: ‘They’ve marked centre a few times, gone through the process and I’m sure they’ll be better for it. With the prep that we’ve had with the other Test guys who’ve been here for a while too we’ll have no excuses come Australia.’
England batsmen, including Joe Root, struggled for runs but Brendan McCullum believes they will benefit from the experience as the Ashes approaches
Jamie Overton impressed with both bat and ball against New Zealand on Saturday's ODI
A BREAKTHROUGH TOUR FOR JAMIE OVERTON
Now 31, it is a dozen years since one of English cricket’s famous twins first burst on the scene, but even the man himself acknowledged he’d never performed better than on Saturday when he hammered a maiden ODI half century and followed up by emulating Archer’s speed In returning figures of two for 32.
‘There’s not too many players around the world who can bowl 87 miles per hour, field the way he does, hit the ball as cleanly and have the touch that he had at times across this series It’s been a huge series for Jamie and we’re all delighted for him. He’s incredibly well liked in the group and to see him go from strength to strength each game is a real positive,’ McCullum said.
Overton, who has been handed a white-ball only deal in the central contracts scheduled to be announced imminently, is due to travel to Australia in three weeks for another stint in the Big Bash with Adelaide, but insists those who arrive before him for the Ashes will not be infected by the loss to the Kiwis.
‘It's a completely different side. I know there's a few boys that are here and playing into it but it's a different format. I still think the boys are going to go really well in Australia, as it's a different format.’
