Nasser Hussain was out caught behind straight after drinks, edging as he pushed at a ball outside off. He scored 29 from 49 balls and hit four fours and a six. It was Yovich's third wicket in three overs.

Neither of fourth-wicket partnership batsmen, Shah and White, have spent much time in the middle in recent weeks, White because he has not been in the squad, Shah despite the fact that he has.

They had the opportunity to make a case for inclusion in the ODI team, though White's bowling has probably got his name pencilled in already. Another wicket without much addition to the score would throw the match back into the balance.

White's first boundary was an edge past slip, his second a more secure cut. But it was still an uncertain period for England with the ball going past the outside edge with some regularity.

Yovich was replaced by Butler from the City End while Doull continued an economical spell from the Members' End. With wickets needed, close catchers were retained though the fielding restrictions had been lifted.

Butler bowled three overs without making a breakthrough before being replaced by Tuffey.

Though this left more scoring opportunities progress remained slow with only 22 scored in ten overs after the dismissal of Hussain.

White was out for 15, Hamish Marshall taking a brilliant diving catch low to his left as the batsman attempted to cut Doull. With 65 remaining to get, England were making heavier-than- expected weather of reaching their target.

New batsman Andrew Flintoff went onto the attack straight away, getting off the mark with a pull for four that was intended to go over, rather than across, the boundary. Another four, off Tuffey, was off driven just over Butler at mid-off.

Scott Styris replaced Doull (9-0-25-1) from the Members' End. He was off driven for four by Shah in his first over. The Middlesex batsman's progress was slow, with 21 from 48 balls, but it has been a reasonable effort in the circumstances.

Quick wickets are needed if ND are to prevent an England victory.

The first scoring shot of the innings was a hooked six by Vaughan - deputising as opener for Trescothick - off Ian Butler. It was six and out, as Vaughan was caught behind two balls later.

Nasser Hussain was welcomed to New Zealand with a swift bouncer from Butler, who bowled as quickly as any member of the England attack. His second over was a maiden, with one delivery almost finding Hussain's outside edge.

Tuffey, recalled to the international squad today, thought that he had the England captain caught behind in the fifth over. There was a loud snick, but umpire Bowden's finger stayed down. The ND players had gathered in celebration before they realised what the decision was. Had this been an ODI, their reaction would probably have resulted in a mass appearance before the match referee.

Hussain got off the mark with an edged four that went just wide of second slip. Butler kept up the bouncer barrage in his third over with successive no-balls, one of which cleared keeper Robbie Hart to go to the boundary.

Tuffey conceded four from his first four overs, but 17 in his fifth. First, Nick Knight hit his first boundary of the innings, a flick off the pads just clearing mid-wicket. Hussain then took up the attack, with a six over long on and a four to mid-wicket.

Knight continued the assault in the next over, pulling Butler well clear of the longest boundary on the ground.

Yovich replaced Butler at the City End with immediate success, Knight top edging a catch that was well taken by Hamish Marshall at backward point. He scored 17 from 33 balls. He was dismissed with the score on 55 in the 12th over.

Thorpe soon followed, top edging a hook that was well taken on the fine-leg boundary by Parlane, who parried the ball, catching it at the second attempt while tiptoeing just inside the boundary line.

Hussain hit two fours off Yovich in the same over in which Thorpe was dismissed, one through the covers, the other to mid-wicket.

Owais Shah became the third batsman in the game whose first boundary was a six when he straight drove Doull against the sightscreen.

ND are without Grant Bradburn who is resting a strain. He is expected to be fit for ND's State Championship match beginning on Tuesday.

England need another 87 to win, and should do so well within their 50-over allocation.

Robbie Hart was out in the first over after drinks. He got on inside edge onto his stumps as he attempted to force Vaughan away on the offside off the back foot. Hart scored 22, exactly half of the seventh-wicket partnership of 44 with Bradburn.

Joey Yovich hit a four through the covers off Vaughan soon after coming in, but with only three wickets left and twelve overs to survive, most of the scoring was achieved by working the ball around for singles and twos.

Bradburn and Yovich put this strategy into effect well, the total building to 144 before a top edge from a cross-batted swipe by Yovich gave a simple catch to Vaughan at backward point.

Daryl Tuffey, recalled to the CLEAR Black Caps squad for the first two ODIs, was next in. He was fortunate to survive a miscue that landed just short of Vaughan as he ran in from the cover boundary, but was out in the next over. Thorpe took a low catch at short mid-wicket off Flintoff.

Grant Bradburn was dropped by Thorpe in the penultimate over. The fielder got his fingers to a high chance, but could not hold on. Bradburn did an effective job in collecting runs in difficult circumstances. He was 46 not out at the end, Butler falling caught behind in the last over.

England's bowling performance today was everything that it wasn't on Friday. Constant pressure was imposed on the ND batsmen. Gough impressed with hostility and accuracy, finishing with 9.2-4-20-2. White's figures were 8-2-23-2, Flintoff's 9-1-20-3.

Good bowling and indifferent batting account for ND's low score, which is 100 less than they hoped for at the start of the day. England should win comfortably.

ND lost three wickets in five overs after the first drinks break. Parlane was bowled around his legs by Giles attempting a slog sweep. He scored 25 from 45 balls including three fours and a six, but never quite found his touch.

Matthew Hart (two) followed in Craig White's first over. An ineffectual prod outside off stump sent a simple catch to Nick Knight at second slip.

Hamish Marshall (six) became White's second victim, chopping a short ball onto his stumps.

ND had descended from 61/2 to 71/6 against English bowling that has adjusted as well to New Zealand conditions as the batting did on Friday. Andrew Flintoff made full use of the new regulations allowing one bouncer an over, finishing his first spell with figures of 5-1-6-1.

Craig White continued his rehabilitation after his recent knee operation with some bustling bowling from the City End. There were signs that he is rediscovering his former pace, for the odd delivery, at least.

Ashley Giles bowled beautifully from the Members' End, taking advantage of some help from the pitch. He should have had a third victim, but Foster missed a stumping chance offered by Robbie Hart. Bowling his ten overs straight off, Giles finished with two for 22.

Caddick also completed his allocation. 10-0-48-0 reflects the fact that he has been the only English bowler to offer many scoring opportunities to the batsmen.

With the pitch responsive to spin, Michael Vaughn succeeded Giles at the Members' End.

With survival the primary aspiration of Bradburn and Hart, there were few shots for the large crowd to enjoy, though Bradburn did cut White to the boundary.

The stranglehold was loosened when Hart came down the pitch to hit Giles over long off for six. A four in Caddick's next over and a hooked boundary by Bradburn off Gough just before drinks maintained the momentum.

ND will have reviewed the figure they have in mind as an attainable target. It is now in the 180-190 range, though this depends on Hart and Bradburn staying together until the final overs.

The rematch between Simon Doull and the England pace attack was eagerly awaited after the pinch hitter's 47-ball 80 on Friday.

The early exchanges consisted mostly of shadow boxing on a pitch that was even bouncier than that of the first match.

When Doull was nine, as Gough at fine leg moved under a sky-scraping top edge off Caddick. He got a hand to it, but stumbled in the dirt left on some practice pitches and couldn't hold on.

The miss was not expensive, Gough himself claiming the wicket in the next over. Thorpe moved in from mid-on to catch another skyer.

James Marshall struggled with the pace and bounce of the pitch early on, sparring unsuccessfully outside off stump on a number of occasions until he cut Caddick for the first boundary of the innings in the sixth over.

A disciplined start by England was undermined by some confused fielding reminiscent of the Friday's game. A push into the onside produced four as neither White's shy nor Shah's retrieve was backed up, to the fury of bowler Caddick.

As in the first game, Michael Parlane's first boundary was a six, hooked off Caddick, followed by an edged four in the bowler's next over.

Gough's first spell (5-2-9-1) was outstanding. Caddick (7-0-39-0) was more expensive, but had all the bad luck that was going in terms of edges and fielding errors

James Marshall fell for 18 to Flintoff, who replaced Gough at the City End. An attempted hook came on to him more quickly than expected. An easy catch lobbed up to Ashley Giles at mid-on.

Marshall was out in the 15th over, at the end of which ND were 53/2, less than half of the total they had reached at this point of the innings two days ago.

Giles came on from the Members' End, immediately extracting some turn. This accounted for Styris, who followed a ball that turned away from him, edging a straightforward catch to James Foster.

Run scoring has been less easy today, largely because the England bowling has been more controlled. ND have cannot afford to lose more wickets if they are to reach a par score of around 250.

Flintoff, Foster and Giles also return to the side, while Trescothick, Collingwood, Snape and Hoggard stand down.

Too much can be read into the results of warm-up games and England will not be unduly concerned by the three-wicket defeat sustained in Friday's thriller, provided that lessons are learned from it.

Chief among these is the necessity for bowlers to maintain a disciplined line and, especially, length. Acting captain Marcus Tescothick believed that the generous pace of the excellent Hamilton pitch seduced his bowlers into bowling too short in the first game.

England coach Duncan Fletcher will not accept another sloppy fielding performance, and under Hussain's leadership things will not be allowed to drift, as was sometimes the case as Trescothick grappled with the gloves and the captaincy two days ago.

For ND, Scott Styris returns from the CLEAR Black Caps one-day squad, replacing Aldridge. Tourist fixtures still have a status in New Zealand that they have long since lost in England, so there will have been no volunteers to stand down.

Interest will focus on the performance of young pace bowler Ian Butler, who discomforted several English batsmen in game one.

It is a fine day in Hamilton, with a big crowd expected.

The teams

Northern Districts

James Marshall, Simon Doull, Michael Parlane, Matthew Hart, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Grant Bradburn, Robbie Hart (captain/wicketkeeper), Joseph Yovich, Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler. Graeme Aldridge is 12th man.

England XI

Nick Knight, Michael Vaughn, Nasser Hussain (captain), Graham Thorpe, Owais Shah, Craig White, Andrew Flintoff, James Foster (wicket-keeper), Ashley Giles, Andy Caddick, Darren Gough.

Umpires are Evan Watkin and Billy Bowden.