England salvaged some pride with a 34-run victory over New Zealand at Trent Bridge to prevent only a second one-day international series whitewash against the Kiwis.
Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler bludgeoned a breathtaking 47 runs off just 16 balls – the Somerset man would have broken the record for the fastest ever ODI half-century if he had hit a fourth six off the final delivery – as England set the tourists 288 runs to win.
New Zealand made a bright start to their innings, in stark contrast to England’s sluggish opening at the start of the match, but their run-chase gradually petered out under the lights with the Black Caps bowled out for 253 with over three overs remaining as the hosts closed out a morale-boosting win ahead of their Champions Trophy campaign.
Alastair Cook’s side, who had already been sentenced to their first ODI series defeat at home since they were beaten by Australia 6-1 in 2009, managed to avoid their first summer whitewash since Sri Lanka thrashed them 5-0 in 2006 thanks to Buttler’s heroics, coupled with scores of 82 and 49 from Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan respectively.
England’s attention now switches to the Champions Trophy which begins on Thursday, with the host nation’s first match against Australia at Edgbaston on Saturday.
“The win was very important and we thought we played pretty well,” the winning captain, Cook, said. “We haven’t got it right this series, we’re almost there but if you’re not 100 per cent you get beaten, but we showed character and the different side worked today.
“We’re lucky to have two spinners – very different spinners too – and they could play together.”
The Black Caps would have been near certainties for a third straight win but for man of the match Buttler’s last-gasp cameo alongside Morgan, who plundered three sixes in his 40-ball blitz.
Earlier in the England innings, opener Bell compiled a classy 82 with support from Jonathan Trott (37) and Joe Root (33) before he gave his wicket away tamely to Mitchell McClenaghan – who finished with figures of three for 54 – just 18 runs shy of his century.
New Zealand made a sprightly start to their reply but man of the series Martin Guptill, whose previous innings in the series were 103 and 189, was finally dismissed for 38 by off spinner James Tredwell, who came into the side as one of four changes along with Ravi Bopara, Steven Finn and Stuart Broad as James Anderson, Graeme Swann, Chris Woakes and Jade Dernbach were all replaced.
Broad, Root and Tim Bresnan each added a wicket apiece to leave the tourists 97 for four, before Tredwell took another crucial wicket with captain Brendon McCullum sent pack to the pavilion for just six.
Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills both scored 28 from numbers eight and 10 in the order respectively in a late resurgence for the Kiwis, but England held their nerve in the final stages to record a solitary win in what was an otherwise-disappointing series for Cook’s side.
England’s opening Group A match against Australia is followed by a clash with Sri Lanka at The Oval on June 13 and another encounter with New Zealand in Cardiff on June 16.
Scoreboard
England innings
A.Cook lbw b McClenaghan 0
I.Bell v McCullum b McClenaghan 82
J.Trott lbw b McCleneghan 37
J.Root run out 33
E.Morgan run out 49
R.Bopara c Taylor b Williamson 28
J.Buttler not out 47
T.Bresnan not out 0
Extras (lb-2 w-7 nb-2) 11
Total 287
Did not bat: S.Broad, J.Tredwell, S.Finn.
Fall of wickets: 1-3 2-69 3-149 4-153 5-210 6-272.
Bowling: McClenaghan 10-1-54-3 (2nb 3w), Mills 9-1-55-0 (1w), Southee 9-0-65-0 (2w), Franklin 4-0-24-0, N.McCullum 8-0-35-0, Williamson 9-0-42-1, Munro 1-0-10-0.
New Zealand innings
L.Ronchi c Trott b Broad 22
M.Guptill b Tredwell 38
K.Williamson lbw b Root 19
R.Taylor c Bresnan b Tredwell 71
C.Munro c Buttler b Bresnan 0
B.McCullum c Buttler b Tredwell 6
J.Franklin c Cook b Broad 7
N.McCullum c Broad b Bresnan 20
T.Southee C Cook b Finn 15
K.Mills not out 28
M.McClenaghan c Root b Finn 4
Extras (b-2 lb-5 w-6 nb-2) 28
Total 253
Fall of wickets: 1-39 2-70 3-96 4-97 5-111 6-122 7-175 8-196 9-235 10-253.
Bowling Finn 9.3-0-57-2 (1nb 3w), Broad 9-0-56-2, Bresnan 8-0-27-2 (2w), Tredwell 9-0-51-3, Root 5-0-34-1, Bopara 6-0-21-0,
New Zealand won the toss and chose to field
England won by 34 runs
New Zealand won the series 2-1
