The England cricket team is currently going through a very poor patch in One Day Internationals. They lost the first two matches of the ongoing series against New Zealand, effectively handing over the series. In the third match, the top-order’s dismal performance led to a new, yet extremely embarrassing, cricketing record.
World Record: England’s top four scored only 84 runs across three consecutive matches
In this three-match ODI series against New Zealand, England’s top four batsmen performed disappointingly. Across these three matches, the combined total of their top four batsmen was just 84 runs. This set a new world record for the lowest combined runs by a team’s top four batsmen across three consecutive matches in a series or tournament.
Bangladesh freed from the record after 29 years
By setting this record of just 84 runs, England broke an old, embarrassing record previously held by Bangladesh. In the 1988 Asia Cup, Bangladesh’s top four batsmen scored a combined total of 89 runs across three consecutive matches. This humiliating record, held by Bangladesh for almost 29 years, has now been broken by England, finally freeing the Tigers from it.
Harry Brook fails despite strategic change
To escape this embarrassing situation, England made a strategic change. Harry Brook, who had batted at number five in the previous two matches, was promoted to number four in the third match.
Although Brook had scored 135 and 34 runs in the earlier two matches, he was unsuccessful on the day of the change. He managed just 6 runs before returning to the pavilion, which could not prevent England from setting this lowest-runs record.