Kiwis defeat England to take series

Needing victory in Saturday's match at the AMI Stadium to level the series - despite being comprehensively outplayed in the opening two games - the tourists were unable to match their performances of the previous two matches and handed New Zealand a 3-1 series triumph.

Having set what they thought was a competitive 242 for seven after a late flurry of boundaries, but they allowed Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder to enjoy another aggressive partnership after missing three early catches which set the tone for New Zealand to stay on course for victory.

New Zealand progressed to within 30 runs of victory on 213 for six but rain halted play for long enough to secure victory as they had already passed the Duckworth-Lewis target.

England did briefly rattle New Zealand as they progressed towards their target and claimed three wickets in seven balls while captain Daniel Vettori appeared to survive an appeal for a catch behind which television suggested he had edged in the very next over only for umpire Billy Bowden to reject Jimmy Anderson's appeal.

It was yet another story of missed chances for England, however, with Ryder being missed by Ian Bell at cover before he had scored and McCullum missed on 30, 31 and 77 during a ruthless 103-run stand off only 68 balls.

New Zealand were restricted once McCullum's powerful innings of 77 off 43 balls, which included five fours and six sixes, was ended when he mis-timed a pull shot and was bowled by England captain Paul Collingwood.

But despite their middle order collapse, which was sparked by two wickets off successive deliveries by Ryan Sidebottom, when showers halted play New Zealand were well ahead of the required total they needed under the Duckworth-Lewis method for settling weather-hit matches.

England had only reached their total after a flurry of late boundaries from Luke Wright and Dimitri Mascarenhas who added 65 off the final five overs. But until that late flurry, England had found it difficult to score runs at a consistent rate and it took Wright's 47 off 40 balls, which included two fours and four sixes, to give the innings impetus.

Mascarenhas followed Wright's lead by hammering 29 off only 12 balls but England's lapses during the early stages of New Zealand's innings effectively sealed their fate.