Cricket: Three key moments in Black Caps loss

New Zealand's Brendon McCullum is bowled out by England's Steven Finn during the one day international match between England and New Zealand at the Riverside cricket ground. Photo / AP.

Andrew Alderson looks at three passages of play which defined England's three-wicket win to take the series 3-2 at Chester-le-Street.

1. Mitchell Santner dropping Jonny Bairstow on 56

Bairstow, recalled to the squad with a day's notice, resuscitated England's hopes at 40 for four and went on to win them the game with an over to spare.

He got into an unusual position from Matt Henry's final ball in the 22nd over, spooning it to third man. At a rough estimate - using the Mississippi counting system - it spent at least four seconds in the air.

Santner almost had too much time to pace underneath it and, in the shadow of a vociferous crowd, the ball hit palm, chest and grass. He grieved on his knees.

2. Santner's opening spell

Captain Brendon McCullum made one pivotal decision early which turned the chase in New Zealand's favour.

He brought Santner on in the second over. One does not have to be a mentalist to suggest Alex Hales eyes' may have lit up when the second ball was dragged short. He pulled hard... straight to man-of-the-series Kane Williamson's outstretched hand, in front of square. One down.

Joe Root was stumped from the first ball of Santner's next over. Luke Ronchi looked like he was juggling a chainsaw but held his composure to whip off the bails after Root dug a moat between himself and the crease.

Next ball Eoin Morgan slogged Santner to Martin Guptill at deep mid-wicket. The left-arm orthodox all-rounder had three for five from eight balls. He finished with three for 31 from the maximum six overs.

It's impossible to quantify how much the 23-year-old will have come of age during the spell.

3. Adil Rashid's clinical leg spin

Rashid and Santner would be vying for the match's best bowling.

Rashid helped 'restrict' New Zealand to 283 for nine in what became a contest rather than a clobbering.

He took the middle order wickets of Santner and Grant Elliott to finish with two for 45.

Rashid lured Santner (two off six) from his crease and spun the ball through his defence into the stumps.

Elliott (35 off 36) was stumped by stand-in wicketkeeper Bairstow who also took two catches before his batting heroics.

#Ford, the driving force behind the Black Caps

SCOREBOARD