Whitewash highlights England's problems

BETHELL MISSES CHANCE TO STAKE CLAIM FOR ASHES SPOT

- By DAVID CHARLESWORTH

ENGLAND'S final assignment before the Ashes ended in a 3-0 one-day international series whitewash defeat by New Zealand.

Three top-order failures ultimately doomed the tourists, with Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell - all of whom will be on the plane to Australia this week - hugely underperforming.

Here we look at what was learned from the trip.

England need to find their identity

England's record of four wins in 15 ODIs this year makes for grim reading, and on nine occasions in 2025, they failed to bat out 50 overs, including in all three matches against the Black Caps.

Unlike in previous years, England have been at or near full strength since Harry Brook took the white-ball reins but their talented batting unit has struggled to adjust to the ebbs and flows of an ODI.

When the pitch is flat, England can bang with the best of them - and they have put up two scores of 400 this year - but if the ball spins or seams, as it did in New Zealand, they repeatedly flounder.