SUPERSUB Jonny Bairstow helped England pull off a thrilling three- wicket win that saw them clinch their record-breaking run-fest Royal London Series 3-2 against New Zealand.
Bairstow (83no), playing at Chester-le-Street after being called up only 24 hours earlier to replace the injured Jos Buttler, proved he hits as powerfully as England's first-choice wicketkeeper-batsman by carrying his side 45 for five to victory with an over to spare.
Set a revised target of 192 in 26 overs after the Kiwis had made 283 for nine, England's reply followed a three-hour break between innings caused by stubborn drizzle - and began miserably against Mitchell Santner.
But after Brendon McCullum's surprise decision to open with the slow left-armer led to a career-best three for 31, Bairstow took over first in a sixth-wicket stand of 80 in just 57 balls with Sam Billings.
He stayed the course for a match-winning maiden one-day international half-century, albeit being dropped by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi on 39 and then later by Santner when he uppercutted Matt Henry to third man on 56. By the time he and fellow Yorkshireman Adil Rashid saw England home, in an unbroken stand of 54, Bairstow had hit 11 fours off 60 balls.
It was a fitting climax to the first five-match ODI series to contain more than 3000 runs, England prevailing despite half-centuries from Martin Guptill (67) and Kane Williamson (50) and Ben Wheeler's late hitting. England struggled early in their shortened chase. Alex Hales was brilliantly caught by Williamson off Santner, and then Joe Root was stumped by a juggling Ronchi - who collected a painful rebound off his chin.
Eoin Morgan then picked out deep midwicket off the young spinner to go for a first-ball duck.
Ben Stokes crunched a catch off Wheeler straight to mid-off, and then opener Jason Roy lobbed a catch to point, donating a maiden wicket to debutant Andrew Mathieson with his first ball in international cricket.
Billings and Bairstow took over, until the Kent batsman was caught by a diving Ross Taylor at mid- wicket - and then David Willey holed out too. But England, Bairstow especially, would not be denied.
Guptill and Williamson's second-wicket stand of 94 provided New Zealand with a 30-over platform of 150 for three - but thanks to Stokes (three for 52), neither remained to cash in during the second half of the Kiwi innings.
Williamson under-edged a front-foot pull on to his stumps, and Guptill went caught-behind to some extra bounce.
McCullum had gone in the first over, chopping on the ball after smashing Steven Finn over long-on for six.
New Zealand soon had to reassess possibilities, but were well-served again by the prolific Williamson with his fourth successive 50, only for the regular fall of wickets to prevent momentum.
Rashid bowled impressively. The promotion of Santner, to target him again as he had at Trent Bridge, backfired with the Black Cap bowled for two - and later the legspinner had a charging Grant Elliott stumped.
Taylor had escaped a half-chance on 19, a diving Root failing to hold on at short cover off Rashid, and was still threatening to make England pay.
But when he too went three short of his 50, caught-behind off the returning Willey in the 42nd over, New Zealand were struggling to reach par.
Ronchi found mid-off driving at Willey to go too, a third wicket for the addition of only nine runs.
With only the tail left, New Zealand had to grab what they could.
That was to include 22 off the last over from Finn, Wheeler hitting the final three balls for 4-6-6 - but it was still not enough.
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