AUCKLAND, Mar

fourth limited overs cricket international Sunday at Eden Park, report agencies.

The New Zealanders had been dismissed for a paltry 153 in their innings of a match reduced by overnight rain to 43 overs a side.

But they bowled and fielded superbly, at one stage having England at 41 for four, to pull off the improbable victory.

Fast bowlers Heath Davis and Geoff Allott took two wickets apiece, while old hand Gavin Larsen was at miserly best, snaring three for just 20 runs off 8.3 overs.

New Zealand had to win this match to have any chance of squaring the series after England won the first two matches and then drew the third in Napier last Wednesday.

Davis let the tourists know New Zealand meant business when he broke opener Nick Knight's left index finger with the first ball of the innings, forcing Knight to retire hurt.

Alec Stewart and Craig White added 50 for the fifth wicket, but England struggled against a tight bowling attack and had slumped to 113 for six by the 36th over.

When Robert Croft was run out for 20. Darren Gough caught and bowled next ball and Andrew Caddick bowled in the same over by Larsen. England's innings seemed finished.

But Knight came out to bat as last man with his finger heavily strapped, wearing one batting glove and holding the bat with one hand.

smashed Larsen down the ground and Allott took a spectacular catch on the boundary to prohibit a certain six and end the match, with England still nine runs in arrears.

Openers Nathan Astle and Bryan Young put on 53 for the first Kiwi wicket, but apart from a 59-run partnership for the third wicket between Astle and Stephen Fleming, there was nothing else of substance from the New Zealand batsmen.

Astle made 51 and Fleming 37. but woeful running between the wickets cost New Zealand the wickets of Chris Cairns and Gavin Larsen for two each, and some sloppy strokes from the other batsmen made life easy for the England bowlers.

Off-spinner Robert Croft took two wickets in one over and the bowlers were backed up by some slick fielding.

The final game of the five-match series is in Wellington on Tuesday.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard of the fourth one-day cricket international between New Zealand and England at Eden Park Sunday:

NEW ZEALAND

Young c and b White 16

Astle c Stewart b Irani 51

Germon lbw b Gough 0

Fleming c Hussain b Croft 37

Cairns run out 2

Parore c Croft b Caddick 13

Harris c Hussain b Croft 0

Larsen run out 2

Doull not out 13

Davis b Caddick 0

Allott b Gough 3

Extras: (w-11. )b-3, b-2) 16

Total: (all out in 39.5 overs) 153

Fall of Wickets: 1-53; 2-54; 3-113; 4-116; 5-120; 6-120; 7-129; 8-136; 9-141: 10-153.

Bowling OMR W

Caddick 8 1 29 2

Silverwood 5 0 20 0

Gough 5.5 0 29 2

White 5 0 21 1

Croft 9 1 26 2

Irani 7 0 23 1

ENGLAND

Knight not out 1

Atherton c Harris b Allott 9

Stewart b Astle 42

Thorpe c Parore o Allott 7 Hussain b Davis 3

Irani c Fleming b Davis 0 White c Parore b Harris 32

Croft run out 20

Gough c and b Larsen 5

Silverwood c Allott b Larsen 12

Extras: (w-7, lb-6) 13

Total: (all out in 41.3 overs) 144

Fall of wickets: 1-22: 2-32: 3-41:4-41; 5-91; 6-113: 7-132; 8-132:9-133; 10-144.

Bowling: O M R W

Davis 6 0 32 2

Allott 5 1 21 2

Doull 6 1 15 0

Larsen 8.3 0 20 3

Harris 9 0 26 1

Astle 7 1 24 1

Result: New Zealand won by nine runs.