A century from Ross Taylor and a blazing knock from skipper Brendon McCullum have helped New Zealand set England a target of 270 to win the second one-day cricket international in Napier.
Taylor scored exactly 100 as the Black Caps, up 1-0 in the three-match series, were bowled out in the 49th over at McLean Park on Wednesday.
It was his first big score since he returned to the Black Caps fold a fortnight ago from a self-imposed exile after his dumping as captain in early December.
He showed plenty of patience and grit in his 116-ball stay at the crease, hitting a six and nine fours, including one through backward point to bring up his seventh ODI ton.
Having got to three figures, he fell to the next ball he faced, caught behind as he tried to cut a James Anderson delivery.
Taylor put on 100 runs for the fifth wicket with McCullum, who did most of the scoring as he smacked 74 off just 36 balls.
Thirteen of McCullum’s scoring shots were 13 boundaries, four of them flying over the rope.
In one three-over stretch, the pair put on 58 runs, with McCullum smashing 43 of them.
Kane Williamson contributed 33 and Grant Elliott 23, but the New Zealand batting line-up in general didn’t take full advantage of a pitch that seemed to have plenty of runs in it.
Part of the reason was the fine bowling effort by the England attack on either side of the Taylor-McCullum partnership.
The opening pair of Anderson and Steven Finn put the clamps on early with their tight line and length.
Anderson – who removed both openers, BJ Watling (7) and ODI debutant Hamish Rutherford (11), to leave New Zealand at 19-2 in the ninth over – finished with 5-34.
Having become England’s most prolific wicket-taker in all forms of the game during the tourists’ three-wicket defeat in Hamilton on Sunday, he took his career tally to 534 dismissals.