KEY POINTS:
England were as good as their word at Eden Park last night, raising their game in a display far superior to their opponents' to put an edge back into the one-day series.
And fittingly the skipper Paul Collingwood completed the job with a terrific unbeaten 70 off 50
balls. Collingwood's reputation is based more around conscientiousness than brilliance, but he disguised that pretty well with a string of superb, inventive strokes.
In reply to New Zealand's inadequate 234 for nine, England reached 229 for four with three overs to spare, a rejigged target courtesy of a short rain break and the calculations of Messrs Duckworth and Lewis.
The teams adjourn to Napier and the fourth game on Wednesday, New Zealand with some thinking to do, but still the 2-1 advantage; England feeling far better about things.
"We've given ourselves a bit of a sniff," Collingwood said. "It was a really top performance. To bounce back like that was excellent."
Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf also caught the eye, if in a vastly different way. First he ruled out a Jacob Oram boundary at the start of New Zealand's 30th over.
Rauf was still walking back into position as Collingwood delivered the ball. He was making notes at the time, perhaps sorting out his post-match dinner order, or planning a day out today. Then he gave Taylor lbw having first taken a couple of steps to his left as if peering around a corner.
Rauf's encore came when he gave Ian Bell lbw after the batsman smashed the ball into his pad. Bell looked petulant - and had every right to as the replay flashed up. His had been a fine innings, sharing a 107-run third wicket stand with Pietersen.
Two overs later, Rauf did get it right when Vettori nailed Pietersen lbw and and opened the door, which Collingwood promptly slammed shut.
Vettori gave a masterly display. His battle with Bell and Pietersen was a highlight. He offered some bait with intriguing field settings and his control was impeccable.
There was a desperation about New Zealand's fielding but they didn't have enough runs, and without Oram's contribution would have been dead by halftime.
He arrived at 64 for five from 22 overs. With Vettori his resolute wingman, the allrounder put on 74 for the seventh wicket, eclipsing the old mark against England of 70, by Jeremy Coney and Richard Hadlee at Birmingham in 1983.
Considering what had happened earlier, the pair showed what could be achieved by a combination of smart thinking and bold strokes. Until then, the bowlers had set the tone; Oram and Vettori regained first parity, then the initiative.
Oram and Vettori, with 88 and 42, rammed home their immense importance to this side.
Vettori might have gone before he'd scored, his lofted drive scraping Anderson's fingertips at deep mid-off. But the runs started to come. They gave the popular yardstick of doubling the total at the 30-over mark a shake. New Zealand were 99 for six at that point, but the pair at the crease stepped up the tempo impressively.
An Oram six, driving Dimitri Mascarenhas square into the stand was the shot of the day. Vettori meanwhile mixed conventional strokeplay with innovation. Oram slammed two consecutive sixes to move within sight of what would have been a remarkable century. It needed a brilliant running, diving catch by Bell to deprive him of it.
New Zealand's early difficulties were down to two elements - vastly improved England seam bowling and some ordinary stroke selection.
England's bowling had been substantially below par in the losses at Wellington and Hamilton. Here they picked up their game, particularly James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The bowlers found movement off the pitch, bent their backs and were well rewarded.
None of the early batsmen really settled. Taylor battled determinedly but it was a grim day out for the batting collective.
"We knew we were going to have to scrap pretty hard," Vettori said. "We thought we could defend 230 but it just wasn't enough."
Opener Jesse Ryder is in doubt for Napier after turning an ankle while batting. He will be reassessed today.
