New Zealand advance to Trans-Tasman tri-series final despite defeat against

After moving past 175 at the start of the 19th over, the hosts fell narrowly short of winning the game as Chris Jordan and Tom Curran kept things tight at the death.

Yet it will be New Zealand who face Australia in Wednesday’s final, with England’s first win of the series coming too late and by too slim a margin to save them.

Morgan and Malan put on 93 for the third wicket in an England innings otherwise punctuated by the fall of regular wickets.

There were five sixes for Malan – the initial aggressor – and one more for Morgan, who accelerated in devastating fashion, while Tim Southee was comfortably the pick of the home attack with 2-22 from four overs.

England’s total soon looked vulnerable when Munro dominated an opening stand of 78 with Guptill that spanned just 6.3 overs.

Munro cleared the ropes on seven occasions and reached 50 from just 18 balls, the third time he has reached the landmark in that many deliveries or fewer.

Rashid and Dawson, who had 1-9 from three overs before his last set of six went for 18, brought England back into the game, but Guptill eventually found his feet to ensure qualification was a formality for the Black Caps.

An unbeaten 37 off 30 balls from Mark Chapman was not quite enough for New Zealand to win the match, but it mattered little.