ENGLAND v NEW ZEALAND

At Brisbane, December 15. New Zealand won by eight wickets. Toss: New Zealand. England displayed their pitiful loss of confidence with the bat for the second time in three days, and this time their bowlers could not bail them out. Taking toll of Malcolm - they helped themselves to 43 off his first six overs - Crowe and Wright insured New Zealand against a collapse like the one that cost them the Sydney match. Crowe had decided against breaking up his opening alliance with Wright, even though Jones had recovered from finger injury suffered at Perth, and he made his third commanding half-century (eight fours) in successive games. He was in reach of the first hundred of the tournament when he tested the resilience of Gooch's hand with a stinging drive off Malcolm to mid-on. Gooch's 48, from 90 balls, was the top score of an England innings that passed 200 thanks only to the newly arrived Defreitas, and because New Zealand dropped four routine catches.

Man of the Match: M. D. Crowe.