Close New Zealand 198 for 6 in 38.3 overs (Astle 67*, Gough 4-44) beat England 196 in 40.2 overs (Knight 73, Thorpe 41, Vettori 3-17) by 4 wickets
scorecard

A game of two collapses eventually went New Zealand's way after a dazzling burst from Darren Gough had threatened to turn a stroll in the park into a hike up the Southern Alps. Gough took 4 for 8 in 11 balls as New Zealand collapsed to 144 for 6, only for Nathan Astle and the hard-hitting Andre Adams to steer them home with a flurry of boundaries. But for some untypical restraint from Astle, New Zealand would have made it six defeats in a row. As it is, they're back on track. Mini-crisis? What mini-crisis?

Set a modest 197 in 42 overs - heavy overnight rain had delayed the start for more than two hours - New Zealand were in complete control at 136 for 2 with time to spare. But Gough had other ideas, and in one blinding over under the lights he dismissed Craig McMillan (caught behind for 15), Chris Cairns (bowled for 8), and Lou Vincent (caught at slip first ball). When he added Chris Harris in his next over, caught behind for a duck, New Zealand were suddenly sweating at 144 for 6.

Astle, though, was still there. His previous five innings had brought him just 27 runs, but now he dropped anchor, and when Adams whacked Gough straight for four, then mowed Ashley Giles over long-on for six, the momentum swung again. Astle moved to 50 with a pull for four off Andy Caddick, repeated the dose next ball, and then watched in admiration as Adams finished it off in style, driving the listless Caddick for six over extra cover to seal victory with 21 balls to spare.

England could have no complaints. They had been heading for at least 250 before losing their last eight wickets for 40 in 82 balls, and then missed two catches as New Zealand, aided by Chris Nevin's uppercuts and slashes, put on 99 for the first wicket.

The England collapse was something else - even by their standards. After cantering to 156 for 2 with Nick Knight in the saddle they were primed for a late gallop. But when Knight, on 73, dollied a short delivery from Daryl Tuffey to Adams, running in from short midwicket, it was the beginning of the end.

If England's batting was straight from the village green, New Zealand's fielding was more lord of the manor. Graham Thorpe was run out for 41 as he tried to convert Andy Flintoff's tickle into three, only to be beaten by Craig McMillan's pinpoint throw from fine leg (170 for 4). Then Paul Collingwood's heave off Daniel Vettori picked out the huge figure of Tuffey, who reached high above his head to hold on in cow corner. Collingwood had made 9 and it was 181 for 5. Three balls later an uppish drive by Flintoff, on 12, off Chris Cairns was acrobatically held at shortish extra cover by Lou Vincent, who dived to his left to cling on one-handed an inch above the ground (181 for 6).

In the next over Craig White top-edged a sweep off Vettori to short fine leg where Cairns swooped like a swallow (183 for 7). It was White's fifth zero in six ODI innings, which seemed apt with the Winter Olympics going on in Salt Lake City. James Foster chipped Vettori to Vincent at midwicket to fall for 3 (188 for 8), and Giles, on 2, cut Cairns to Harris at point (189 for 9). England had lost a wicket in five of their last six overs, and it was all over when Caddick skied Adams to Harris at point for 2.

It was such a waste after Knight and Nasser Hussain had got England off to a flyer. Marcus Trescothick padded up to give Ian Butler a wicket with his fifth ball in international cricket (2 for 1), but Hussain, using his feet to Tuffey, was in prime form all round the wicket, and Knight, dropped twice in two balls off Cairns, hit Adams for three consecutive fours - down the ground, past mid-on, and through extra-cover. Hussain again fell when well set, nibbling at Adams to be caught behind for 35 (84 for 2), but Thorpe and Knight calmly added 72 before the rot set in.

An hour later, the wind had been taken out of their sails, and when New Zealand embarked on their reply, England missed the boat completely. On 16, Nevin's airy drive went straight past Hussain's outstretched arm at extra-cover. And when he had 26, Nevin top-edged Caddick high into the night sky, only for Foster to misjudge the catch so horribly that he fell flat on his bottom - shades of that howler in Harare.

Gough did his best to turn things round, but England had left themselves with too much to do. After taking two giant steps forward in Delhi and Mumbai, they had taken three steps back here - outbowled, outfielded and, in the end, outbatted. On a grey day in Christchurch the blues were very much England's.

England 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Nick Knight, 3 Nasser Hussain (capt), 4 Graham Thorpe, 5 Andy Flintoff, 6 Paul Collingwood, 7 Craig White, 8 James Foster (wk), 9 Ashley Giles, 10 Andy Caddick, 11 Darren Gough.

New Zealand 1 Chris Nevin (wk), 2 Nathan Astle, 3 Stephen Fleming (capt), 4 Craig McMillan, 5 Lou Vincent, 6 Chris Cairns, 7 Chris Harris, 8 Andre Adams, 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 Daryl Tuffey, 11 Ian Butler.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd