Check out all the action in today's one-dayer from Napier with nzherald.co.nz's Live Scoring, from 11am. Our reporter Edward Gay will also be blogging from the ground.
KEY POINTS:
Old All Blacks talk of the fear of failure being a powerful motivating factor. New Zealand may take the same view as they aim to wrap up their ODI series with a game to spare in Napier today.
England are in familiar territory. In Australia last summer, having
been wretched in the Ashes series, they won their last two round robin games in the tri-series, against the hosts and New Zealand. From there they won the first two finals against the Aussies to take the title.
Here, they were well beaten in the first two ODIs, won the third at Eden Park on Friday and have their sights set on teeing up a decider in Christchurch next Saturday. New Zealand should be concerned if it gets to sudden death.
"In many ways the next two games are a test of character for us," England's captain Paul Collingwood said.
"We are going into every game as if it's a final."
New Zealand have momentum on their mind, but for different reasons. They had it; an England win today will confirm they have wrested it back. Sudden death deciders are all very well, unless you happen to lose.
Keep it simple, lock down the series today is New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori's preference.
"We've talked long and hard about winning the game here as opposed to sudden death. We're putting all our eggs in one basket I suppose to win here on a ground we love playing at," he said.
McLean Park, with its short boundaries square of the wicket and reputation as a batting delight, should produce a bundle of runs today.
In the last five ODIs in Napier, at least one team has scored over 270 each time; three totals have exceeded 320, which points to a tough day ahead for the bowlers.
New Zealand have won 17 of their 28 games at McLean Park, and 11 have been done batting second. That raises the old chestnut about batting first or chasing should Vettori win the toss.
Vettori knows New Zealand's reputation is as a better chasing team than setting a target, but he's banged on frequently about the need to do both well. He's right. Often teams don't get the choice and Vettori knows "to be a really good team you've got to do both well".
England are unlikely to change their lineup, with good reason. The bowlers stepped up several gears in Auckland and the outcricket was sharp.
Jesse Ryder is progressing well after damaging his left ankle at Eden Park, and New Zealand will weigh up whether to use offspinner Jeetan Patel or fast-medium Iain O'Brien today.
The image of Patel being smeared a long way back into the stand at Eden Park on four successive deliveries in the first Twenty20 international by Dimitri Mascarenhas is hard to shake. The close mid-wicket boundaries at McLean Park will be inviting to the likes of Kevin Pietersen, Collingwood and Mascarenhas.
However O'Brien is yet to play an ODI, making it a curly issue. One must play to ensure New Zealand have five frontline bowlers. Anything less is asking for trouble.
* NEW ZEALAND V ENGLAND
McLean Park, 11am today
New Zealand (from): Daniel Vettori (c), Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Scott Styris, Peter Fulton, Daniel Flynn, Jacob Oram, Kyle Mills, Iain O'Brien, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin.
England (from): Paul Collingwood (c), Alastair Cook, Phil Mustard, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson, Tim Ambrose.
