Chris Woakes holds his nerve to guide England to series lead over New Zealand

Kane Williamson's 112 not-out wasn't enough for the hosts as they succumbed to a four-run defeat

Chris Woakes celebrates with his England teammates after securing victory (Getty)

Chris Woakes held his nerve to guide England to a tense four-run win in the third one-day international against New Zealand at Westpac Stadium.

Woakes was handed the pressure of defending 15 from the final over and he did not disappoint as Eoin Morgan’s team scraped home, despite an unbeaten century from home captain Kane Williamson, to take a 2-1 series lead with two to play.

Williamson, back from the hamstring injury that ruled him out of England’s series-levelling victory in Mount Maunganui last Wednesday, took his team to the brink of a remarkable win after they had collapsed to 103 for six in the 25th over of their chase.

But he was left stranded on 112 not-out after failing to find the boundary his team required to either win or tie the game from the final ball.

England had made 234 on a difficult Wellington pitch but came back into this game thanks to their spinners, including 3 for 36 from Moeen Ali, the all-rounder’s best figures of a difficult winter in Australia and New Zealand.

“It was a brilliant game of cricket, again,” said Morgan. “We took a huge amount of commitment and overthinking to assess this pitch. “We just couldn’t get going. The sun was out and it was a hot day. We knew we would’ve been in the game if we got somewhere between 220-240.

“Our spin twins did a fantastic job on a wicket that offered some turn. The pressure shifted a little bit with the Williamson-Santner partnership. It was a very tight game, could’ve gone either way.

“Woakes is Mr. Reliable, he’s a bit of an unsung hero for us with bat and ball.”

England had lost all four of their previous ODIs at this stadium, including chastening defeats by New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the 2015 World Cup.

Losing the toss was not what they needed, especially as nobody was quite sure what a good total on this dog of a drop-in pitch was.

Kane Williamson's 112 wasn't enough for New Zealand (Getty)

Its two-paced nature and variable bounce was illustrated perfectly by the innings of Ben Stokes, who was twice surprised by deliveries that reared up and hit just two boundaries during a 73-ball knock of 39.

Stokes had timed the ball imperiously to lead home his side’s run chase four days previously. Timing the ball on this pitch, though, was far more challenging and England, so used to posting huge totals since their limited-overs reboot three years ago, only hit two sixes in the entire innings.

That was evidenced by the fact Jonny Bairstow took 12 balls to get off the mark. But along with Jason Roy, both openers fell in the first 17 overs as England slipped to 68 for three.

In between those two dismissals was a curious innings from Joe Root, who raced to 20 from 22 balls but was then caught trying to hit Colin De Grandhomme over the top.

The innings was held together by a 71-run stand between Morgan and Stokes spanning 19.2 overs.

By the time Morgan was bowled trying to cut Tim Southee he had made 48 and his team were 139 for four in the 36th over.

That total had advanced to 166 for four after 40 overs.

But both Stokes and Jos Buttler fell to Sodhi and England lost six wickets for 60 runs in the final ten overs. Given the conditions that still looked a good total.

Adil Rashid appeals for a LBW call on Henry Nicholls (Getty)

Despite the early loss of Martin Guptill, Chris Woakes striking in the third over, New Zealand started their chase in confident fashion as Colin Munro and Williamson guided their team to 47 for one after ten overs.

The pair put on 68 before Adil Rashid made a crucial breakthrough, Munro on 49 the victim of a brilliant catch by Stokes at short cover.

Little was anyone to know that wicket maiden from Rashid – and inspirational fielding from Stokes – would spark a remarkable collapse by the Black Caps, who slipped to 103 for six in the 25th over after losing four wickets for six runs.

Moeen struck twice with the final two balls of the 21st over, Mark Chapman caught at slip after charging down the wicket and Tom Latham trapped lbw.

Rashid then had Henry Nicholls out lbw for a duck in the next over before Moeen, denied his hat-trick by Williamson, soon picked up his third wicket when De Grandhomme picked out Woakes at long on.

That brought the dangerous Mitchell Santner to the crease. He had hit 108 unanswered runs in the first two ODIs and might have been out on two here when Roy claimed a diving catch off Rashid.

Mark Wood in action as he attempts to catch the ball (Getty)

Yet he survived because video replays proved inconclusive as to whether the catch was clean.

With Williamson set, New Zealand’s seventh-wicket pair got the required runs down to 67 from the final 10 overs.

England badly needed a wicket, especially when the equation for a home win was whittled down to 36 from 30 balls.

And it came in the 46th over thanks to a brilliant run out, Woakes managing to get a hand on Williamson’s return shot before the ball clattered into the stumps to send Santner on his way and end a stand of 96.

New Zealand, 199 for seven and with Williamson in the 90s, now needed 36 from 28 balls. But with Tm Curran’s next over going for nine, that came down to 25 from 18.

Woakes struck in the 48th over, Southee holing out. But with Williamson still in, the game was in the balance.

New Zealand’s captain brought up his hundred with a four from Curran’s first ball of the 49th over, his team needing 18 from 11.

By the start of the final over, 15 runs were required, with Williamson on strike.

But Woakes closed out a tense win for England despite a Williamson six that left his team needing just seven from three balls.