CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner made half centuries as New Zealand struggled to 223 in the absence of match-winning batsman Ross Taylor Saturday in the deciding fifth one-day international against England.
Chris Woakes took 3-23, Adil Rashid 3-42 and Tom Curran 2-46 as England, after winning the toss, bowled out New Zealand in 49.5 overs.
New Zealand was deprived of its most reliable batsman when Taylor withdrew shortly before the start of play Saturday with a leg injury which has troubled him throughout the series. England also lost opener Jason Roy with a back injury, giving Alex Hales his first start of the series.
Taylor's 113 in the first match at Hamilton helped New Zealand to a three wicket win; England won the second and third matches - the latter when Taylor was injured - and Taylor's 181 not out in the fourth match Wednesday guided New Zealand to a five wicket win with three balls to spare.
Taylor was troubled by his injury throughout Wednesday's innings which was his highest for New Zealand and the third highest by a New Zealander in one-day internationals. He underwent a fitness test Saturday and quickly concluded he was too impaired to play.
New Zealand's batting lineup looked fragile in his absence, especially through a middle order in which Mark Chapman, Taylor's replacement, had scored only nine runs in two previous innings and Nicholls 14 runs in four innings, though he hit the winning runs in the fourth match in Wellington.
That middle order was quickly exposed when Woakes, who took 1-16 from six overs in his first spell, dismissed Colin Munro for 0 with the third ball of the innings and when captain Kane Williamson was bowled by Mark Wood for 14, leaving New Zealand 26-2.
The pitch at Hagley Oval looked good for batting at Eoin Morgan's decision to bowl on winning the toss was predicated on England's preference to chase a known total rather than to set a target. Morgan is playing his 200th ODI and his 177th for England.
There was seam movement at first, which Woakes and Wood used well, and the New Zealand batsman seemed uncertain of the pitch's pace and bounce.
Munro tried to flick a ball to leg, was cramped by Woakes and top-edged a catch which was taken by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. Williamson dangled the bat at a ball from Wood which seamed back from wide of off, took the inside edge and cannoned onto leg stump.
Spinners Rashid and Moeen Ali bowled well through the middle of the innings on a pitch which gripped and turned a little. Tom Latham (10) received a ball from Rashid which dipped late, turned and which he flicked to Ben Stokes at mid-on and Chapman (0) was undone by a delivery from Ali which turned sharply from outside off.
Nicholls and Mitchell Santner forged the only substantial partnership of the innings, putting on 84 for the seventh wicket. Nicholls broke out of his slump with his sixth ODI half century, from 73 balls, before being dismissed by Curran. Santner reached his 50 from 60 balls and went on to 67 before being caught by Alex Hales off Woakes.
Jonny Bairstow took a brilliant one-handed catch on the boundary to remove Tim Southee (10).
