Perth, January 30:

New Zealand all but sealed a berth in the triangular series finals with a comfortable 58-run win over England in the one-day international here on Tuesday.

After the Black Caps made the third highest limited-overs score at the WACA grounds and their best total against England with 318 for seven, England made 260 for eight in reply.

The result means New Zealand are five points ahead of England on the tri-series table, with four points available for a win, and both sides having two games left. The English, with one win all tour and just eight in their last 33 one-day internationals, need to win their last two games to have any realistic hope of reaching the finals.

England started well in their long chase, with Ed Joyce promoted to open the batting and making an impressive 66. However, spinners Jeetan Patel and Daniel Vettori (2-40) broke the English resistance.

Andrew Strauss’ horror tour continued when the left-hander, dropped to number four, charged down the pitch at Vettori, miscued an attempt to kick the ball away and was stumped by Brendon McCullum for 12.

The departure of skipper Andrew Flintoff, bowled around the legs by Vettori, ended their hopes as they slumped to 162 for six.

The final winning margin flattered the English greatly, with Paul Nixon (49) and Liam Plunkett (25) scoring cheap runs as New Zealand dropped their intensity.

Earlier, both Lou Vincent and Ross Taylor made half-centuries in the New Zealand innings, while Jacob Oram again weighed in with some more late fireworks.

But it was another calamitous display in the field from the embattled English with their series on the line.

They conceded a staggering 37 sundries, including 22 wides and three no-balls. England’s fielding was substandard, with two dropped catches and several boundaries coming as a result of fielding blunders, the main culprit being Tremlett. As well as his poor fielding, the pace bowler also went for 72 runs from his spell of 10 overs.

After Vincent made 76 and Taylor 71, Oram continued his incredible form since returning from a hamstring in making an unbeaten 54. Oram faced just 33 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes to help his side make a late surge.

One of the few England players to impress was spinner Monty Panesar, who helped rein in a flying start by the Kiwis with just 15 runs coming from his first six overs, finishing with 2-35 from 10 overs.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND

L Vincent c Dalrymple b Plunkett 76

S Fleming lbw b Plunkett 15

P Fulton c Nixon b Plunkett 15

R Taylor c Panesar b Collingwood 71

C McMillan st Nixon b Panesar 11

J Oram not out 54

B McCullum c Strauss b Panesar 19

J Franklin c Plunkett b Tremlett 9

D Vettori not out 11

Extras: 37 (lb12 w22 3nb)

Total: 318/7 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-32, 2-53, 3-190, 4-213, 5-219, 6-246, 7-268

England bowling: Plunkett 9-0-54-3, Tremlett 10-0-72-1, Flintoff 10-0-66-0, Panesar 10-2-35-2, Dalrymple 5-0-43-0, Collingwood 6-0-36-1

ENGLAND

E Joyce run out 66

M Loye c Fleming b Franklin 15

I Bell c Fleming b Patel 31

A Strauss st McCullum b Vettori 12

P C’wood c Fleming b McMillan 18

A Flintoff b Vettori 13

J Dalrymple c Franklin b McMillan 14

P Nixon c Oram b Bond 49

L Plunkett not out 25

Extras: 17 (b1 lb2 w8 nb6)

Total: 260/8 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-27, 2-99, 3-123, 4-136, 5-156,

6-162, 7-184, 8-260

New Zealand bowling: Franklin 8-1-45-1, Bond 10-0-58-1, Oram 5-0-23-0, Patel 10-0-53-1, Vettori 10-0-40-2, McMillan 7-1-38-2