25 overs New Zealand 67 for 5 (Finn 2-6) v England
Scorecard
If occasionally knocking over the bowler's end bails can be deemed a weakness, it is the only blemish against Steven Finn at the moment. His new, shorter, run up is designed to address that issue and it has taken none of the pace and aggression away from him, qualities which again were too good for the New Zealand top order as England got on top in the series decider.
Finn's early aggression created another crawl through the Powerplay before a run out blunted New Zealand's recovery through Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot. When Taylor cut at Stuart Broad and got a toe-end to the keeper, England had sight of a long tail.
The pitch, a drop-in surface, hard and flat, was tailor-made for Finn and his opening over showed he was in his element on a bright, warm day in Auckland. BJ Watling faced him like a schoolchild in his first adult net session. He only lasted four of his balls. The first delivery whistled past his shoulder, the second jagged back sharply, the third seamed away beating the outside edge and the fourth was fended to second slip as Watling was beaten for pace.
Finn's opening five overs were unplayable. They went for just five runs, one of them a wide. He found plenty of bounce and moved the new ball both ways. His second wicket was reward for his probing of Hamish Rutherford. He had tried several times to get Finn away through point but failed to find the necessary timing. He gleefully accepted the chance to hit a much wider delivery outside off - the worst Finn had sent down - and, in his eagerness, nicked it to the wicketkeeper.
The over was the second of consecutive wicket maidens as New Zealand made another limp effort of the opening Powerplay. Returns of 33 for 1 in Hamilton and 21 for 2 in Napier were trumped by 18 for 3 from the first 10 overs here.
James Anderson was a little more workable. He overpitched to Kane Williamson, who drove him superbly down the ground, and dropped short to Ross Taylor, who swatted him in front of square with a hook. But Anderson still only went for 12 in his first five overs and had Williamson caught behind when he uncharacteristically felt for a ball which held its line just outside off stump to take a thin edge.
New Zealand eventually began to go somewhere when the opening bowlers were removed. Though Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad bowled tight lines, neither has the nip of Anderson or the pace of Finn and they were easier to drop around and singles were generated in the circle. Taylor also drove Broad past mid on with a sign of his form from Napier.
Graeme Swann, who conceded his most expensive ODI figures in the second match, was introduced and he aided New Zealand's recovery as they worked him around and Elliot exploited a lack of turn to come down the pitch and twice drive over extra cover.
It was steady but important work but the partnership was ended in calamity at Taylor clipped to long leg and sent Elliot back having initially charged back for a second run that was on. It left New Zealand's gun pair - Taylor and Brendon McCullum - at the crease too early for their liking. McCullum's hitting will be needed if New Zealand are to get anywhere close to a defendable target. Plenty are required on probably the smallest international venue in the world. So tight are the boundaries that if it was a new ground it would not be ratified by the ICC.
Unplayable Finn lays platform for England
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Unplayable Finn lays platform for England
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Unplayable Finn lays platform for England
