New Zealand v England

At WestpacTrust Stadium, Wellington, February 16 (day/night). New Zealand won by 155 runs. Toss: England.

England recorded their second-lowest total in 344 one-day internationals, stumbling to 40 for six and only narrowly surpassing their 86 against Australia at Old Trafford eight months earlier. On a sluggish wicket, the damage was done by New Zealand's batting stars from the previous game. Adams wobbled it around to take three for 13, while Astle, whose three wickets cost just four runs, was left on a hat-trick. Only Flintoff passed 12 as Fleming's clever field placings exerted a stranglehold. New Zealand's 244 was held together by McMillan, who swept cheekily for his 69. England experimented by handing the gloves to Trescothick, who occasionally looked out of his depth but would be preferred to Foster for the rest of the series. England's fielding was shoddy and three catches were dropped; Hussain later pointed to a lack of intensity. The crowd had no such problems, particularly during the interval, when Peter Jackson, the director of The Lord of the Rings, stood on the pitch with a microphone and persuaded them to make howling, growling, grunting noises for use in battle scenes in The Two Towers.

Man of the Match: A. R. Adams.