Shah unable to prevent defeat

Owais Shah scores his sixth one-day international fifty

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Most of England's batsmen got starts but could not carry on at Lord's as the hosts suffered a 51-run defeat to New Zealand who took the NatWest Series 3-1.

Owais Shah’s 69 was the highlight of England’s 215 all out, but no one else was able to provide the home side with the sort of runs they needed to take them past their target.

Shah was eventually out when he tried to get England over the line with just four overs remaining, by launching Tim Southee into the air, but substitute fielder James Marshall took the catch.

The Kiwis had reached 266 for five after being put in to bat, with eight sixes coming in the last hour, as Jacob Oram and Scott Styris increased the initially rather turgid run-rate.

Jamie How was lucky when Tim Ambrose dropped a fairly simple skied catch off the bowling of James Anderson, with the batsman on four.

He had another escape when dropped by Anderson himself on the boundary, off Stuart Broad, but the following ball was snapped up by Ravi Bopara at backward point, the batsman departing for 22.

Brendon McCullum had to rein in his attacking instincts, but despite not seemingly being able to hit the ball as hard as usual, he somehow managed to split his bat, right across the middle, when trying to whip Anderson into the leg-side.

Ross Taylor could only manage four before he played at a wide delivery from Broad and Ambrose made no mistake behind the stumps.

McCullum, who had been roughed up by the England bowlers, finally fell to an edged catch by Graeme Swann at slip off Anderson. He made 23 off 57 deliveries and never looked comfortable at the crease.

England had several half-chances in the field, but were unable to make the most of them as Styris and Daniel Flynn put on a useful 53-run partnership, before Swann broke it with an excellent delivery which was tossed up and straightened as it pitched and bowled Flynn through the gate.

Scott Styris returns to form with a quickfire innings of 87

Styris then combined with Oram in another handy partnership of 77 for the fifth wicket, although a close stumping chance was ruled not out by the third umpire.

Oram upped the tempo of the innings, taking 17 off a Shah over, which included three sixes. But when trying for a fourth, this time to the spin of Swann, he could only pick out Broad at long-on who took the catch.

Both Oram and Styris brought up their half-centuries with a six, as the last 15 overs of the innings saw a plethora of big-hitting from the New Zealand all-rounders.

Grant Elliott was not to be outdone either, hitting a six of his own in an unbeaten innings of 23 as he and Styris (87 not out) saw out the New Zealand innings, taking 61 runs off the last five overs bowled.

Ian Bell then got England up and running, hitting Kyle Mills for two boundaries in the first over, but after a brisk 27, he was rapped on the front pad by Mark Gillespie, playing across the line.

Alastair Cook, who had been brought into the side in place of Paul Collingwood, made 24 before getting a very fine edge through to McCullum off the bowling of Southee.

Southee struck again to remove Kevin Pietersen, the batsman slicing him to Oram at backward point for six, before Daniel Vettori bowled Bopara with a looping delivery which completely confused him with its lack of pace.

Shah and Luke Wright were left to repair the damage with the required run-rate going past eight an over.

Vettori mixed his pace up well, and it was a quicker ball which did for Wright, as it crashed into his off stump, and he got his third scalp when Ambrose hit him straight to Marshall at point.

Swann gloved Mills for McCullum to take a good catch diving to his right in what was a wicket maiden, and Mills got another as Broad pulled him to Flynn at deep square leg.

Gillespie took the last wicket, that of Anderson, who cut the ball to Oram at point to end the innings with 13 balls remaining, and give New Zealand a 3-1 series win.