New Zealand 202 (Harris 71, Caddick 4-70) and 269 for 9 dec (Astle 65, McMillan 50*, Hoggard 4-68) beat England 160 (Tuffey 6-54) and 233 (Hussain 82) by 78 runs
scorecard
England series averages
New Zealand series averages

In the end it didn't last long. At 2.50pm on the final day Matthew Hoggard edged Andre Adams to Nathan Astle at second slip and New Zealand had won the third Test by 78 runs to square a series in which they had often struggled to keep up. Set 312 to win in 105 overs, England had raced to 122 for 2 before losing eight wickets for 111 on a wicket that suddenly showed signs of uneven bounce.

It was New Zealand's first home win over England for 18 years, and it lifted them above England into fourth place in the ICC Test Championship. For England it was an anticlimactic end to a winter that had been getting better and better.

The stuffing was knocked out of their innings in the space of nine balls about three-quarters of an hour before lunch. They had been galloping along at more than four an over when Mark Butcher received a brute of a ball from Astle that flew at him from a length and ballooned off the shoulder of the bat to point, where Brooke Walker, the substitute fielder, took an easy catch. Butcher had made a fluent 35 and England were 122 for 3.

Walker then dropped Graham Thorpe two balls later as he cut carelessly at Astle, but it didn't matter. In the next over Thorpe was given out caught behind off Daryl Tuffey for 3 (125 for 4), although replays suggested he might not have touched the ball. And England were in disarray at 125 for 5 when Andrew Flintoff was bowled by Tuffey through the gate second ball for 0.

At the other end Nasser Hussain was fighting a lone battle, similar to his vigil in the first innings of the series at Christchurch. He had made a positive start, hitting consecutive balls from Andre Adams for four (through the covers), six (pulled over midwicket), and four (another pull), and his straight-driving was crisp and world-class. He reached his third score of 50 or more in the series with a cover-drive for four off Tuffey, and when he took boundaries off the next two deliveries as well – through the slips and off his pads – England went into lunch in a slightly better mood.

But Mark Ramprakash, batting with a runner after tweaking his groin when he turned sharply in mid-pitch during his first innings, was bowled by Tuffey for 2 in the second over after the interval when he missed one that stayed low (155 for 6).

After that it seemed only a matter of time, although James Foster hung around gamely for more than 18 overs – the latest in a long line of useful knocks – before he nibbled at Adams and was caught behind for 23 (204 for 7).

In Adams's next over, England's last hope was gone as well. Hussain got a leading edge as he tried to turn one to leg and Adams dived forward smartly to take the return catch (207 for 8). Hussain was out for 82, which took his tally in the series to 280. In the course of the innings he also passed 4000 runs in Tests, and reminded everyone what a class batsman he is on bad wickets.

Ashley Giles biffed merrily for a while, but Andy Caddick, on 4, hit Chris Drum straight to Daniel Vettori at mid-on (230 for 9), and six balls later it was all over.

As much as anything New Zealand were relieved, because England had made a rollicking start in their attempt to score over 300 to win a Test for only for the fourth time. They lost Marcus Trescothick for 14 as he tried to leave Drum alone outside off but got an inside edge onto his stumps (23 for 1), but then Michael Vaughan and Butcher combined to add a pulse-racing 50 in nine overs.

Vaughan again looked the part, getting off the mark with a pull for six off Drum, and off-driving with languid ease. But, yet again, he failed to turn a start into something more substantial, wafting uncharacteristically outside off against Drum and providing Fleming with a head-high catch at first slip. Vaughan had made 36, his highest score of an unfulfilled series.

Butcher, whose cut shots prompted Fleming to post two gullies, a short extra cover and a deep point, kept things ticking over nicely with Hussain, but the pitch was starting to misbehave. And when the gentle medium-pace of Astle suddenly took on more dangerous proportions, England began to worry. As things turned out, they had good reason to.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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