KEY POINTS:
BRISBANE - A first one-day international cricket century in three years from captain Stephen Fleming couldn't prevent an embarrassing tri-series exit for New Zealand early today.
Despite Fleming's gutsy 106, New Zealand folded under late pressure from England's bowlers led by an outstanding Andrew Flintoff for a 14-run defeat, chasing 271 to win at the Gabba.
Flintoff had a shattered Fleming caught behind in the 47th over after 217 minutes and 149 deliveries, including 11 fours.
It was a resurgent England's second consecutive win and booked them a finals spot against Australia, and New Zealand a flight home tomorrow.
New Zealand were travelling strongly at 169 for two in the 35th over but an awful mix-up between Fleming and Ross Taylor, on 25, saw Taylor run out by Flintoff at the bowlers' end.
They then lost six for 63 before James Franklin hit out and left them needing 20 off the last over, but they were too far behind to end at 256 for eight.
"We're starting to play some good cricket but we're not quite there. Disappointing to be on the plane home," Fleming said.
"We lost wickets at crucial times and the run out of Ross Taylor was probably a turning point because he can score quickly. We were never really ahead of the game."
Fleming insisted it wasn't a hammer blow to their World Cup buildup.
"It was going to plan if we won this one. We were pretty happy and would have gone into next week with a good feeling about ourselves.
"Now we go home and wait for the Australians, we'll cop a little bit and home and rightly so. We'll just toughen up and look forward to the Australians."
With just two wins from eight in the tri-series, and seven defeats from their last nine completed matches, New Zealand eye the Chappell-Hadlee series and World Cup with the annoying habit of losing the close ones.
England looked to have gifted victory as Fleming and Lou Vincent added 81 in 13 overs, their best opening stand of the tri-series, with pacemen Liam Plunkett and Sajid Mahmood everywhere.
Monty Panesar and a fired up Flintoff pegged it back as Vincent and a frustrated Peter Fulton both skied catches.
Fleming's last half-century was 10 innings ago at the Champions Trophy in October, and his previous century a matchwinning 108 against South Africa in Christchurch in February 2004.
Fleming rode his luck, umpire Daryl Harper missing a leg side edge to Nixon on 21 then dropped on 36 by Nixon off Paul Collingwood. He was also cracked a painful blow on the thumb by Flintoff.
Taylor added 62 with Fleming before Taylor was sent back and New Zealand were under big pressure. Fleming reached his seventh ODI century off 138 balls but the run rate climbed to near eight per over.
When Scott Styris and dangerman Jacob Oram departed in the space of seven balls to make it 208 for five in the 43rd New Zealand were at long odds.
Earlier, pace spearhead Shane Bond showed encouraging signs for the World Cup with four for 46 as he tested his troublesome back, two days after conceding a wicketless 64 off nine against Australia.
In a sharp five-over spell of two for nine, Bond skittled returning England captain Michael Vaughan with a vicious inswinger second ball, and had Ian Bell caught at second slip for 12.
He returned to snare Flintoff for 17 with a slower ball then bowled England's topscorer Paul Collingwood, who returned from a stomach bug to score his third one-day international century, 106 off 121 balls.
Bond should have collected his fourth bag of five wickets but Peter Fulton dropped Liam Plunkett in the 50th over as Bond conceded 16 runs off his 10th.
But there were mixed fortunes for New Zealand's bowlers who conceded their fourth consecutive 250-plus total.
James Franklin took an early wicket but conceded 45 off eight; spinner Daniel Vettori had his worst return of the tri-series to concede 37 off six and Jacob Oram battled a heel injury as he conceded 36 off seven.
Scoreboard
England
E Joyce c McCullum b Franklin 26
M Vaughan b Bond 0
I Bell c Styris b Bond 12
A Strauss b Styris 55
P Collingwood b Bond 106
A Flintoff c Franklin b Bond 17
J Dalrymple not out 29
P Nixon b Gillespie 0
L Plunkett not out 15
Extras (4lb, 3w, 3nb) 10
Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 270
Fall: 1 (Vaughan), 28 (Bell), 52 (Joyce), 155 (Strauss), 191 (Flintoff), 250 (Collingwood), 251 (Nixon).
Bowling: J Franklin 8-1-45-1 (2nb), S Bond 10-2-46-4 (3w), M Gillespie 10-0-52-1 (1nb), J Oram 7-0-36-0, D Vettori 6-0-37-0, S Styris 9-0-50-1.
New Zealand
L Vincent c Flintoff b Panesar 31
S Fleming c Nixon b Flintoff 106
P Fulton c Bell b Plunkett 12
R Taylor run out 25
S Styris c Panesar b Collingwood 16
J Oram c Nixon b Plunkett 5
B McCullum b Plunkett 2
D Vettori c Vaughan b Collingwood 10
J Franklin not out 22
S Bond not out 8
Extras (1b, 3lb, 15w) 19
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs) 256
Fall: 81 (Vincent), 107 (Fulton), 169 (Taylor), 203 (Styris), 208 (Oram), 212 (McCullum), 224 (Vettori), 232 (Fleming).
Bowling: L Plunkett 10-0-60-3 (13w), S Mahmood 10-0-62-0 (1w), A Flintoff 10-3-37-1 (1w), P Collingwood 10-0-46-2, M Panesar 8-1-38-1, J Dalrymple 2-0-9-0.
Result: England won by 14 runs.
- NZPA
