New Zealand picked up their second warm up win of their England tour as they edged home against Worcestershire by 15 runs.
A Martin Guptill century in the second innings set the New Zealanders up for a shot at victory, despite having a 30-run deficit on first innings scores.
From there it was over to the bowlers who struggled early on, Worcestershire openers Daryl Mitchell and Richard Oliver putting on 78 for the first wicket.
And when the hosts had got the target down to 55 from the last 16 overs with six wickets in hand, it seemed as if the tourists were heading to defeat and not the best preparation five days out from the first test.
However, a remarkable turnaround saw the last six wickets fall for 22 runs, handing New Zealand a 15-run win to make it two from two after beating Somerset the week before.
Matt Henry (3-58) and Mark Craig (4-56) were the pick of the bowlers as the tourists kept their winning record in place ahead of the two tests against England.
Guptill’s 150 was one of the highlights for the tourists and following a stellar World Cup, which included his 237* against the West Indies, he seems to have forced his way back in to contention for the test team, having last played in 2013 on the tour of England.
“Guptill batted superbly and it was a decisive performance. He has done exactly what we wanted. Henry is a really good talent and Wagner has never let us down, so we have a difficult decision to make there,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said.
On the other hand, Worcestershire lost the chance to beat a touring side for the first time this century and pick up a morale boosting win.
“It was the one that got away from us. We collapsed to lose the game. You have to give them credit, but we should have seen it home, for sure," Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes said.
Trent Bridge hosts the fourth Royal London One-Day International between England and New Zealand on Wednesday 17 June. Don't miss the chance to watch England seek redemption against the Kiwis and secure your seat now.