Tim Southee was again the most dangerous of the BLACKCAPS bowling attack as England were limited to 245 all out at The Oval.
Daniel Vettori won the toss and chose to bat, and elected to bowl first, and the decision was validated as his seam attack fared well on their return to London.
Southee returned three for 47, and fellow seamers Kyle Mills and Mark Gillespie also claimed two scalps apiece as the tourists looked to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Opener Ian Bell (46), and middle-order pair Owais Shah (63) and Ravi Bopara (56) were the main causes of frustration for the tourists.
The latter pair shared a fifth-wicket stand of 75 from 94 balls, Essex all-rounder Bopara knocked his highest ODI score of 58 to revive English fortunes.
Shah, of Middlesex, made 63, less explosive then his 49 from 25 deliveries at Durham.
Vettori may have started to worry about his decision after he saw Bell and Luke Wright again begin in determined fashion.
But the pair flattered, only to deceive, by providing 41. Wright, on 18, was expertly caught by Ross Taylor at midwicket off Mills as the duo again failed to follow up on a promising start.
Kevin Pietersen faced two of the next four balls before an attempted pull only found Southee at mid-on.
Bell, playing despite a knee injury, forged ahead but was caught behind off the teenage right-armer by Brendon McCullum, back behind the stumps to accommodate Jacob Oram’s return.
Skipper Paul Collingwood helped his side into three figures, launching three big fours for 15 before having his middle-stump removed by Southee.
Bopara was dogged in his accumulation, rather than providing the flourish which saw him put on a one-day double-hundred in county play last month.
His innings was ended by Oram’s catch off Gillespie, and the recalled all-rounder then accounted for Tim Ambrose.
The wicketkeeper, injured in the warm-up, tried an expansive six over midwicket which was easily collected by Daniel Flynn.
His wicket was the first of a flurry, with four falling for 25 runs in 22 deliveries.
Graeme Swann was caught by Jamie How at backward point off Mills for three, and Gillespie’s accurate throw from long-on ended Shah’s tenure.
Southee accounted for fellow tyro Stuart Broad (five), How taking a second catch.
James Anderson (11) and Ryan Sidebottom (eight not out) put on 17 for the last wicket.
They survived three run out attempts in five balls before the former was eventually caught out with two balls of the innings in hand.
