Rising

Captain Paul Collingwood maintained England's 100% tour record by helping his side to another comfortable victory over New Zealand in Thursday's Twenty20 International.

Collingwood hit the only half-century of the match to help England recover from a top-order collapse to reach a competitive 193 for eight and secure a 50-run triumph at the AMI Stadium after restricting New Zealand to 143 for eight.

His superb 54 off only 28 balls, which included five fours and three sixes, halted England's slide after they lost four wickets for 11 runs in 16 balls and threatened to be dismissed for a lowly total.

But man-of-the-match Collingwood was given superb support from Owais Shah in a 102-run stand off 63 balls, an England Twenty20 record, to ensure the tourists reached a total way beyond New Zealand's injury-hit line-up.

With captain Daniel Vettori already absent, New Zealand were also without key all-rounder Jacob Oram after he sustained a hamstring strain in Tuesday's 32-run defeat at Eden Park.

The absence of those two, experienced heads showed during the early stages with Phil Mustard and Luke Wright enjoying an England record opening partnership of 65 off only 35 balls, which included hitting seamer Paul Hitchcock for 22 in one over.

Sussex all-rounder Wright, whose previous highest score opening for England had been three, matched Mustard stroke for stroke in scoring 30 off 19 balls.

His demise in the sixth over, however, began an England slide when he was bowled by a Chris Martin yorker and was followed in the next over when Kevin Pietersen was trapped lbw after missing a full-toss.

Ian Bell ran himself out in the next over and Mustard, who had raced to 40 off 24 balls, was caught in the deep as England slipped to 76 for four and in danger of failing to post a competitive total.

But Collingwood teamed up with Shah in a productive stand which was only broken with eight balls remaining of the innings when the Middlesex batsman was caught at long off having scored 47 from 35 balls.

Collingwood followed next ball, also caught in the deep off Hitchcock on his first international appearance for four years having come in as a replacement for spinner Deepak Patel.

New Zealand needed a good start if they were not to suffer another heavy defeat and hard-hitting opener Jesse Ryder began promisingly by hitting the first ball of the innings from James Anderson through point for four.

Once again, though, England's new ball attack made early inroads with Anderson having Ryder caught off a leading edge in his second over and left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom bowling stand-in captain Brendon McCullum off an inside edge.

Only Jamie How offered any great resistance, scoring 31 off 25 balls, but without Oram's firepower down the order and the required run-rate increasing every over, England claimed wickets at regular intervals.

It leaves England with an immaculate record as they move on to Wellington for the start of the five-match one-day series on Saturday hoping to build on their impressive recent series triumphs over India and Sri Lanka.

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