Harry Brook admitted that England fell short of a historic win as New Zealand clinched an ODI series for the first time in 42 years. The English captain praised his team for “nearly” defending a low target, but said their batting struggles left the bowlers with a tough task.
Brook stood out in the first two games, but could not force a finish in the final match played on Saturday. England’s bowlers performed well and kept New Zealand on the edge, but the hosts pulled ahead by two wickets to seal a clean sweep of the three‑match series.
“We had an amazing game at the back‑end. For us to almost defend that score, which probably wasn’t big enough, was a great effort from the lads,” Brook said. “We need to get better starts with the bat so the bowlers have a stronger chance.”
England finished the series without a single win. Their batting showed obvious gaps, as they were bowled out for low totals. Brook said the Kiwi bowlers did “a commendable job” but the English team was simply “not good enough” for this level of competition.
He also noted that the toss didn’t help England, and that the pitches in New Zealand were tricky, giving the home side an advantage. “The wickets were very challenging. The New Zealand bowlers used them well, and it made our job harder,” Brook added. “We need to learn from this and find ways to compete for the highest level of world cricket.”
Brook finished on an optimistic note, saying England will go back and incorporate lessons from the tour to improve in the future.
Source: ianslive
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