New Zealand rejoiced only their third home Test victory over England with a spirited 78-run win to square the series in the third cricket Test at Eden Park here Wednesday.
Set 312 runs to win on the last day, England were dismissed for 233 off 62.5 overs with captain Nasser Hussain topscoring with a fighting 82 before he was the eighth man out.
The Kiwis, who lost the first Christchurch Test by 98 runs, fought back from 19 for four on Saturday's opening day to claim a famous victory after dismissing England for 160 to take a 42-run first innings lead.
Man-of-the-match Daryl Tuffey and Test newcomer Andre Adams relished the seaming conditions of the drop-in pitch to prove decisive on a compelling last day's play after only 82 overs in all were possible on the first three weather-affected days.
Tuffey, who claimed Test careerbest 6-54 in the first innings, set up the Kiwi triumph with 3-62, including a sensational two wickets off three balls just before lunch.
Adams ended England's last realistic hope of victory with a diving caught and bowled to dismiss Hussain after the England captain had threatened to hold his team's innings together.
"I always felt that after day one when we were 151 for five with the nature of the wicket that we got ourselves into a good position, we got out of 4-19 and we able to push on and get a score and then be in a position to dictate the rest of the Test," said Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming.
"It was a special win for a number of reasons," he said. "Obviously, the position we were in in the series, there were a couple of guys playing their last Tests and it was history, it was our 50th Test win."
Hussain, whose team failed to get its reward for overall dominance, said there were two key points in the Auckland Test.
"We had them at 19 for four but we bowled poorly to let them get up to 200 and then batting that evening in difficult light and the way they bowled to get us 10 for three (in first innings)," he said.
Fleming declared at New Zealand's overnight second innings total of 269 for nine leaving England an enticing target to chase.
A pivotal stage of the final day was Tuffey's dismissals of England's premier batsman Graham Thorpe and Andy Flintoff in three balls before lunch.
Thorpe feathered a catch to Adam Parore, in his farewell Test, to be out for three and in the same over Tuffey stunned Flintoff when the ball clipped the top of his leading pad and was bowled for a duck.
Mark Butcher was out minutes before Thorpe when he was surprised by one that spat off the pitch from Nathan Astle and was caught at point for 35.
England, who had begun positively in their run chase, slumped from 122 for two to 125 for five in the space of eight balls.
SCOREBOARD
Scoreboard on the fifth day of the third Test between New Zealand and England at Eden Park on Wednesday:
NEW ZEALAND: First innings 202 (C. Harris 71)
ENGLAND: First innings 160 (D.
Tuffey six for 54)
NEW ZEALAND: Second innings 269 for nine declared (N. Astle 65, C. McMillan 50 not out) ENGLAND: Second innings Trescothick b Drum 14
Vaughan c Fleming b Drum 36
Butcher c sub (Walker) b Astle 35 Hussain c & b Adams 82
Thorpe c Parore b Tuffey 3
Flintoff b Tuffey 0
Ramprakash b Tuffey 2
Foster c Parore b Adams 23
Giles not out 21
Caddick c Vettori b Drum 4
Hoggard c Astle b Adams 2
Extras: (b-1, lb-8, nb-2) 11
Total: (All out in 62.5 overs) 233
Fall of wickets: 1-23; 2-73; 3-122; 4-125; 5-125; 6-155; 7-204; 8-207; 9-230
Bowler O M R W
Tuffey 16 3 62 3
Drum 10 0 52 3
Adams 15.5 3 61 3
Astle 19 6 44 1
Vettori 2 0 5 0
Result: New Zealand won by 78 runs.
Man-of-the-match: Daryl Tuffey. Man-of-the-series: Nathan Astle. First Test: Christchurch, England won by 98 runs.
Second Test: Wellington, draw.