KEY POINTS:
LONDON - A late injury concern for key player Kyle Mills put a dent in New Zealand's confidence they can confirm their one-day cricket series superiority over England in the fifth match at Lord's tonight (NZT).
Mills suffered back spasms while batting in the nets at today's training and there was enough concern to rate him doubtful, and bracket him with Michael Mason, a team spokesman said.
Management still hoped he could recover to join an unchanged side, having been a key figure with bat and ball in their back-to-back victories to earn a 2-1 series lead with one to play.
Allrounder Grant Elliott was providing the other injury worry as he recovers from a badly bruised left thigh suffered in the collision with England's Ryan Sidebottom that led to the run-out furore at The Oval.
He was bracketed with Gareth Hopkins, but got through a bowling session at training and was confident of defying the pain, especially with his parents having flown from South Africa to watch.
Otherwise the focus was all on England, with the captaincy debut of Kevin Pietersen and the void left by Paul Collingwood being noted by touring skipper Daniel Vettori.
Pietersen took over after Collingwood copped a four-match ban for slow over rates during the tourists' gripping one-wicket win at The Oval.
Vettori said the super-confident Pietersen, whom he'd played alongside for Nottinghamshire and the World 11, was the logical replacement.
"It's more the gaping hole that Collingwood leaves, in our dressing room we think he's their best player with his allround capabilities," Vettori said.
"Pietersen has huge shoes to fill but he's the sort of guy who seems to demand that sort of attention.
"Knowing the way he plays his game I'm assuming he's going to be reasonably aggressive. There may be some opportunities there with the way he sets fields, we're going to have to wait and see how he takes it on."
Pietersen admitted he had "zilch" captaincy experience, even as a schoolboy in South Africa.
He joins Tony Greig and Allan Lamb as South Africans to be given the "amazing honour" of captaining England.
Pietersen said Australian spinner Shane Warne, who captained and mentored him at Hampshire, taught him the best lesson - trust your instincts and be spontaneous.
On his role in the run-out controversy which marred Wednesday's fourth ODI, Pietersen admitted he could have offered Collingwood more support in his decision not to recall Elliott.
"What's done is done. In hindsight, probably not the best decision we made. It's one of those when we have it again, we'll take the right option.
"Colly apologised and we're obviously not feeling great about what happened. But in the heat of the battle, people do things."
Vettori was adamant there was no ill-feeling between the sides, mainly because New Zealand won and both skippers made peace afterwards.
"Now the dust has settled, 48 hours tends to solve a lot of problems. Both teams will go out there and play pretty hard but I don't think there'll be any animosity. "
New Zealand have won four of their last five ODIs against England but surprisingly have never played them at Lord's. Their only previous visit to Lord's for an ODI was their 107-run victory over West Indies in the 2004 tri-series final.
A win was mandatory for Vettori to salvage something from a tough tour.
"We've stated right from the start we're not the best test match side but we're a good one-day team. To finish the series 3-1 would justify all those expectations.
"If it's 2-2 then everyone will look back to Edgbaston and what went on there (a controversial washout). If we can finish it off 3-1 then it leaves no doubt in anyone's mind."
- NZPA
