JONNY BAIRSTOW scored a blistering one-day international century for the second time in three days.
Bairstow plundered his way to three figures from just 58 balls – the third-fastest century of all time by an England batsman.
England lost on Wednesday despite Bairstow’s stunning innings of 138 but this time he hustled his team to a seven-wicket win with 17.2 overs to spare.
It gave England a 3-2 series win and another surge of self-belief at the end of two months of white ball cricket. The winter away finishes with two Tests against the Kiwis.
Only Jos Buttler (46 balls) and Moeen Ali (53) have made quicker centuries for England in one-day cricket.
Bairstow took his time initially and his first 19 deliveries yielded a relative conservative 17 runs.
But he then applied the accelerator, reaching his half-century from 38 balls and requiring just another 20 to go to his fourth ODI century in his last 15 innings.
Some of his hitting straight and over mid-wicket was as clean as anybody could wish to see.
Altogether, the flame-haired Yorkshireman struck nine fours and six sixes before being out hit-wicket as he attempted another aggressive shot against Trent Boult.
Bairstow had earlier held a stunning, running catch at deep mid-wicket to remove Tim Southee. He sprinted, dived forward and snaffled the ball a foot from the turf with his right hand.
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Bairstow and Alex Hales put on 155 for the first wicket as England rampaged towards their small target of 224.
Hales was given his first opportunity of the series because regular opener Jason Roy suffered a back spasm shortly before the start and he took it well enough with 61 from 74 balls.
Once New Zealand slumped to 93-6, only one result appeared possible.
Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner made half-centuries to cover the Kiwis’ innings in a veneer of respectability but it was nowhere near enough on a good pitch.
Chris Woakes took three more wickets and was named Man of the Series while Adil Rashid also collected three victims.
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