Nathan Astle was again top scorer against his favourite opposition as the BLACKCAPS posted 205 for nine against England at Hobart.
Astle made 45 at the Bellerive Oval as the New Zealanders posted a defendable total in their second game at the Tasmanian venue in the 2007 Tri-Series.
Astle averaged 56 against England in ODIs, and although he fell short of that mark, he led the BLACKCAPS scoring while his former Lancashire team-mate James Anderson took four wickets.
BLACKCAPS Stephen Fleming won the toss and elected to bat first, naming an unchanged team from that defeated 48 hours earlier by host nation Australia.
England captain Michael Vaughan, a former Yorkshire team-mate of Fleming’s, named Ed Joyce replaces the injured Kevin Pietersen.
Brendon McCullum began in belligerent form, striking a six off the second ball on his way to 16 from 15 balls.
However, his was the first wicket to go, caught by Vaughan off Anderson half-way through the sixth over.
Fleming (12) and Ross Taylor (one) also fell in quick succession to the quick bowler, both to Anderson, before Peter Fulton (27) and Astle made some progress with a stand of 30.
Astle’s innings ended when he played a Paul Collingwood delivery on to his own stumps, but Fulton followed the veteran back to the pavilion 30 runs later, caught in the covers by Vaughan,
At one point, the English attack stalled the BLACKCAPS run-rate, but a lower-order fight back bolstered the total score.
Craig McMillan made 22, before pace bowlers James Franklin (20) and Shane Bond (22 not out) put on a stand of 40 for the eight-wicket.
Mark Gillespie’s run-a-ball 10 helped push the BLACKCAPS over 200, giving himself and his fellow bowlers a little more leeway as they seek an opening win on their Australian tour.
