England's top-order gets 'worst-ever' tag; tops shameful list with another collapse vs NZ

England had another top-order collapse vs NZ [Source: AFP]

The England cricket team had yet another top-order collapse on the ongoing New Zealand tour, with the hosts reducing them to 44 for five inside the first eleven overs. Although Jamie Overton's valiant fifty ensured England breached the 220-run mark, a top-order failure for the third straight time earned an embarrassing cricketing feat for the visiting team.  

England's top four puts the worst performance in an ODI series

(ENG batters in 1-4 positions in ODI series vs NZ)

Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Joe Root batted at the top three positions in all games, while Jacob Bethell was England's number four in the first two ODIs. Skipper Harry Brook replaced him at four in the Wellington ODI, but the move didn't yield a positive result for the visitors. 

Thus, England's top four batters collectively managed just 84 runs at a horrible average of seven across three matches in the New Zealand ODIs. This is statistically the worst-ever performance by the top four batters of any team in a bilateral series or tournament comprising at least three matches. 

Least runs by top four batters in an ODI series or tournament (minimum 3 innings)

• 84 by England v New Zealand, 2025 (This Series)*
• 89 by Bangladesh in Asia Cup, 1988 
• 100 by Zimbabwe v Bangladesh, 2009 
• 101 by Bangladesh v Pakistan, 2011 

(Stats courtesy- CREX)

Why is the top-order failure a warning bell for England before Ashes 2025?

It's fair to say that the conditions have been quite challenging for the batters, especially in the first half, throughout England's New Zealand tour. And England, having batted first on all occasions, have been exposed to more bowling-friendly conditions than their counterparts. 

The New Zealand fast bowlers have thoroughly tested the English batting unit. Before getting injured, Matt Henry exploited the England batters' technical flaws, while Zak Foulkes, Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy have also chipped in with crucial breakthroughs. 

Interestingly, Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook will all be a part of England's squad for the Ashes. So, given that their technical vulnerabilities have been exposed in New Zealand, their failure is undoubtedly a concerning sign for the visitors before the Ashes 2025, where they will be exposed to similar conditions against a more formidable Australian pace attack. 

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