Foulkes, Tickner guide New Zealand home in nail-biting two-wicket win; seal series 3-0

Wellington [New Zealand], November 1 : New Zealand pulled off a stunning two-wicket victory against England, snatching the game from the jaws of defeat as Zak Foulkes and Blair Tickner held their nerves to guide the hosts home in a tense finish. With this win, the Black Caps completed a 3-0 whitewash over a lacklustre England side.
England once again struggled with the bat and were bowled out for 222 in 40.2 overs, the third straight time in the series that they failed to play out their full quota of 50 overs. Blair Tickner continued his dream run, finishing as the leading wicket-taker of the series with eight scalps. He was also New Zealand's star performer with the ball in the final ODI, claiming 4/64 in his ten overs.
Chasing 223, New Zealand got off to a solid start as openers Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra added 78 runs. Conway made 34 before falling, while Ravindra looked fluent in his 46. However, a mini-collapse followed, with Will Young dismissed cheaply for 1 and Tom Latham run out for 10. The hosts slipped to 113/4, and the game suddenly looked wide open.
Michael Bracewell's brief stay ended at 13, and despite skipper Mitchell Santner's efforts (27), England kept finding breakthroughs. Daryl Mitchell tried to anchor the innings with a gritty 44 off 68 balls, laced with four boundaries and a six, but his dismissal at 196/8 in 38.3 overs, New Zealand staring at defeat.
That's when Foulkes and Tickner showed remarkable composure. The pair stitched together an unbroken 30-run stand, steering the Kiwis to victory in 44.4 overs and sealing the series.
For England, Jamie Overton was the pick of the bowlers with 2/32 in ten overs, while Sam Curran also grabbed 2/46. Adil Rashid (1/32) and Brydon Carse (1/60) chipped in, but England's batting failures proved costly yet again.
Earlier, after being sent in to bat, England lost wickets at regular intervals. They were reeling at 17/3 in 4.2 overs, with Jamie Smith, Joe Root, and Ben Duckett back in the pavilion. Skipper Harry Brook managed 6, leaving England in deep trouble.
Jos Buttler offered some resistance with a steady 38 off 56 balls, hitting seven boundaries, but wickets continued to tumble around him. England's lower order showed some fight as Jamie Overton (68 off 62) and Brydon Carse (36 off 30) added a valuable 58-run stand.
Apart from Tickner's brilliance with the ball, Jacob Duffy scalped 3/56. Zak Foulkes got 2/27, and Santner picked 1/34.