England hammer Black Caps

A pre-match injury to key allrounder Jacob Oram and New Zealand's lowest total in Twenty20 cricket ensured a nine-wicket loss to England today.

After a jittery start, New Zealand's innings never got going as they posted just 123 for nine, their lowest completed innings in their 16th Twenty20 international.

Their previous worst was 126 for eight in the tied match against West Indies in Auckland in 2006.

England continued their test series dominance to canter home with 15 balls to spare, to inflict New Zealand's seventh consecutive defeat in Twenty20 before a short-changed full house at Old Trafford.

Opener Ian Bell, who struggled in the test series, led the way with an unbeaten 60 off 46 deliveries to stake an early claim for a spot in England's $US20 million winner-take-all match against a West Indies selection in November. He and Kevin Pietersen, 42 not out, added an unbroken 79 for the second wicket.

New Zealand suffered a heavy blow when Oram was ruled out 45 minutes before the start of play when he strained his left hamstring while chasing a ball at fielding practice.

A team spokesman said it would rule Oram out of Sunday's one-day series opener near Durham, at least.

The injury meant a late reprieve for batsman Peter Fulton, after James Marshall was preferred at No 3, but there was little to enthuse about in New Zealand's batting effort.

Ross Taylor topscored with 25 but it was Brendon McCullum's subdued innings which was the talking point.

New Zealand's key batsman, fresh from a century against Worcestershire, was cracked on the helmet by a James Anderson bouncer and played out a maiden over from the Lancashire paceman.

He took nine balls to get off the mark and 18 balls to hit his first boundary, before he was bowled by a Luke Wright yorker for 24.

New Zealand's batsmen seemed to struggle with the variable pace of the pitch and lost Jamie How and Marshall in the first three overs.

Taylor whacked three fours and two sixes in his 18-ball innings before he was bowled by a Paul Collingwood seamer, and when McCullum and Fulton departed within three balls of each other New Zealand had the staggers at 68 for five in the 12th over.

Daniel Flynn hit 23 off 19 near the end but England's bowlers took the honours with Anderson, Stuart Broad and spinner Graeme Swann snaring two wickets apiece.

England grabbed control when Wright and Bell rattled up 48 for the first wicket in 5.3 overs, before Michael Mason broke the stand to remove Wright, caught on the boundary off a full toss.

Mark Gillespie opened up with a maiden but new ball partner Kyle Mills went for 30 off his first three overs.

Daniel Vettori brought himself on in the sixth over and conceded 27 off four, missing a tough right-handed caught and bowled chance with Pietersen on nought.

It was England's third consecutive Twenty20 victory over New Zealand after winning 2-0 back home in February.  

Vettori said the disappointing batting performance on a pitch that offered encouragement for the slower bowlers later in the match snuffed out any winning chance they had.

"It was never going to be a high-scoring game, but to scramble our way to 150-160 would have given us an opportunity," Vettori said.

"To score 120, it doesn't put you in any sort of contest because England can just go out and play and don't have to push too hard."

- NZPA