- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR7.6 edged and gone! Another one that bursts through the top of the pitch, takes the splice and loops to Guptill in the cordon. Aggressive wicket-seeking bowling from New Zealand, and they at last have their reward 25/116.4 oh, you beauty! Sensational delivery from Sodhi. Goodness, is there a better sight than a googly sneaking through the defences? Bairstow has the forward press for a drive through the covers, but he has a massive passage between bat and pad too. Hasn't picked this and Sodhi tonks middle stump 68/313.5 down the wicket, and Root has thrown it away! A stunning low grab at mid-off, but Root completely scuffed his attempted lofted drive, dragging across the ball and picking out Sodhi, diving to his right! 53/235.6 tremendous bowling! Another quicker delivery, perfect stump to stump line, Morgan tried to make room to glide through third man, but the ball is through him too fast and smashes the off stump! 139/440.3 holes out to long-off! Stokes sized up the stroke, gave himself room to free the arms, but didn't quite time it, ended up reaching for the stroke as Sodhi hung it out wide, and toe-ended to the man a metre in from the rope! 168/542.5 dragged out of the crease and beaten by big turn! They go upstairs for the stumping, but Buttler has already given himself out. Well flighted, big bite, and the keeper grabs well to smash the bails. In fact, he's been given out caught behind. His foot was actually behind the line 184/648.4 low full toss, straight as a die, Moeen set off for the single to midwicket but it was never remotely on. Rashid sends him back, and he's not even in the frame as Southee gathers the shy and whips off the bails 222/847.1 low full toss does the trick! Williamson kept his close catchers in position, and he himself intercepts an urgent slap at short cover. Another timely breakthrough to put a dent in England's progress 215/749.2 wears a bouncer on the lid, sets off for a disorientated single, and Boult's casual over-arm pings off the bails at the non-striker's end. England floundering to the end of their 50 overs now... 231/949.6 follows him down the leg-side, another eager pump into the leg side, and yet another run-out, this time a why-the-hell-not sprint for the line. You never know, Boult might have fumbled it... 234/10Extras11 (b 2, lb 2, w 7)TOTAL234 all out (50 Overs, RR: 4.68)Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Jason Roy, 7.6 ov), 2-53 (Joe Root, 13.5 ov), 3-68 (Jonny Bairstow, 16.4 ov), 4-139 (Eoin Morgan, 35.6 ov), 5-168 (Ben Stokes, 40.3 ov), 6-184 (Jos Buttler, 42.5 ov), 7-215 (Chris Woakes, 47.1 ov), 8-222 (Moeen Ali, 48.4 ov), 9-231 (Adil Rashid, 49.2 ov), 10-234 (Mark Wood, 49.6 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ 0s 4s 6s WD NB TG Southee 10 0 48 1 4.80 33 6 0 1 0 TA Boult 10 1 47 2 4.70 33 5 0 0 0 MJ Santner 2 0 12 0 6.00 6 2 0 0 0 C de Grandhomme 10 1 24 1 2.40 40 1 0 1 0 IS Sodhi 10 0 53 3 5.30 29 3 2 0 0 C Munro 8 0 46 0 5.75 20 3 0 1 0
Player of the Match
Player of the Match
- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR2.1 chips to Curran at mid-on. This pitch is decidedly anti-Guptill, not suited at all for his punchy, on-the-up style. It's a length ball on leg stump. He offers the full face as he usually does, but it's accompanied by the trademark jab. On this pitch, where the ball stops, he can only manage a meek lob to the fielder there 12/117.3 a salmon leap at short cover from Stokes! And that is the breakthrough that England so desperately needed! The ball seemed to stick in the pitch as Munro hurled his hands through the line, but what a snaffle, diving to his left, one for the cameras, and is that the moment that England come to the party? 80/220.5 down the track again, and holes out to point! Oh dear, that's terrible. Galloping out of his crease, but horribly skewing his shot on impact, losing his shape in his eagerness to batter it senseless, and New Zealand have shipped another relatively quick wicket... 97/320.6 huge appeal, and England are reviewing! Tossed right up into the toes, and that looked to have struck him very flush indeed. No bat involved, it would seem... a suspicion that it was sliding down leg, but did it turn enough? Ball tracker will tell us... yes indeed, it is taking out leg stump! Latham is gone first ball, and now we've got a contest! 97/421.6 big legbreak, clips something and flies to slip! Up goes the finger, but Nicholls reviews. Was there an inside edge? He clearly thinks not, but it's adjacent for the lbw either way. And yes, that is stone dead! He hedged his bets, utterly unable to read Rashid's variations, and suddenly the New Zealand innings is gurgling down the plughole! 98/524.2 hoisted down the throat of long on! Suicidal cricket, slogging by numbers, merely backing his long levers to clear the rope, but the fielder barely has to flinch to get into position. New Zealand have tossed this contest into the Cook Strait! 103/645.2 drops Williamson but it looks like he's got Santner with a fingertip! Surely. They've sent it upstairs but Santner isn't waiting. Oh what a terrible way to go. Santner has his bat high up, probably because it's a firm drive that he expects to come towards him. This means he has a longer distance down towards the crease. Woakes gets half a finger. Santner whacks himself on the pad after getting into the dressing room. That's the first time he's been dismissed in the series. Is that it for England? 199/747.2 Stokes takes it at deep square. Top class from Woakes. Really good bowling. Seam-up slower ball on a length at off stump. He knows Southee is going to shuffle, and shuffle he does. Looks to go behind square but he's done by the variation. Launches it high and it's an easy catch 210/8Extras5 (lb 1, w 4)TOTAL230/8 (50 Overs, RR: 4.6)Did not bat: TA BoultFall of wickets: 1-12 (Martin Guptill, 2.1 ov), 2-80 (Colin Munro, 17.3 ov), 3-97 (Mark Chapman, 20.5 ov), 4-97 (Tom Latham, 20.6 ov), 5-98 (Henry Nicholls, 21.6 ov), 6-103 (Colin de Grandhomme, 24.2 ov), 7-199 (Mitchell Santner, 45.2 ov), 8-210 (Tim Southee, 47.2 ov)
Match Details
Toss
New Zealand , elected to field first
Player Of The Match
Series result
England led the 5-match series 2-1
Match number
Season
Hours of play (local time)
14.00 start, First Session 14.00-17.30 Interval 17.30-18.15, Second Session 18.15-21.45
Match days
03 March 2018 - day/night match (50-over match)
TV Umpires
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
Match Notes
- Powerplay 1: Overs 0.1 - 10.0 (Mandatory - 36 runs, 1 wicket)
- Powerplay 2: Overs 10.1 - 40.0 (Mandatory - 130 runs, 3 wickets)
- England: 50 runs in 12.5 overs (77 balls), Extras 1
- Drinks: England - 62/2 in 16.0 overs (JM Bairstow 18, EJG Morgan 7)
- England: 100 runs in 27.2 overs (164 balls), Extras 2
- 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 85 balls (EJG Morgan 27, BA Stokes 20, Ex 5)
- Drinks: England - 139/4 in 36.0 overs (BA Stokes 29)
- England: 150 runs in 38.1 overs (229 balls), Extras 11
- Powerplay 3: Overs 40.1 - 50.0 (Mandatory - 68 runs, 6 wickets)
- England: 200 runs in 44.5 overs (269 balls), Extras 11
- Innings Break: England - 234/10 in 50.0 overs (TK Curran 2)
- Powerplay 1: Overs 0.1 - 10.0 (Mandatory - 47 runs, 1 wicket)
- Powerplay 2: Overs 10.1 - 40.0 (Mandatory - 121 runs, 5 wickets)
- New Zealand: 50 runs in 11.1 overs (67 balls), Extras 0
- 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 67 balls (C Munro 29, KS Williamson 21, Ex 0)
- Drinks: New Zealand - 80/2 in 17.3 overs (KS Williamson 28)
- Over 20.6: Review by England (Bowling), Umpire - RSA Palliyaguruge, Batsman - TWM Latham (Upheld)
- Over 21.6: Review by New Zealand (Batting), Umpire - WR Knights, Batsman - HM Nicholls (Struck down)
- New Zealand: 100 runs in 22.6 overs (138 balls), Extras 0
- KS Williamson: 50 off 69 balls (2 x 4, 1 x 6)
- Drinks: New Zealand - 149/6 in 35.0 overs (KS Williamson 66, MJ Santner 18)
- New Zealand: 150 runs in 35.2 overs (212 balls), Extras 2
- 7th Wicket: 50 runs in 69 balls (KS Williamson 28, MJ Santner 19, Ex 3)
- Powerplay 3: Overs 40.1 - 50.0 (Mandatory - 62 runs, 2 wickets)
- New Zealand: 200 runs in 45.4 overs (274 balls), Extras 4
- KS Williamson: 100 off 133 balls (6 x 4, 1 x 6)
Match Coverage
All Match NewsMorgan delight as England counter their weakness
Eoin Morgan thought the match had got away from England at Westpac Stadium when Kane Williamson and Mitchell Santner were together only for a bit of "luck" to turn it back their way
Brilliant Williamson thwarted at the death by nerveless England
England battled their way to a 2-1 series lead with a thrilling four-run win, achieved in spite of a superb hundred from Kane Williamson
England look to end their Wellington woe
If there was any venue in the country where New Zealand could go to try and wrestle back to the advantage, it would probably be the Westpac