Live Commentary: England vs. New Zealand - as it happened

Good morning all. Still awake? Well if you've made it this far, you might as well stay tuned for what could be a really interesting tussle between England and co-hosts New Zealand at Wellington's Cake Tin.

Having already played Australia at the MCG, England could not have wished for a much tougher start. A loss here by no means spells doom, but it will be a bad sign regarding their competitiveness.

ENGLAND WIN THE TOSS: News from the middle, and England have won the toss and elected to bat on what appears to be a belter of a track. No changes to either lineup. Here are the full teams...

ENGLAND: Bell, Ali, Ballance, Root, Morgan (c), J. Taylor, Buttler (wk), Woakes, Broad, Finn, Anderson

NEW ZEALAND: Guptill, McCullum (c), Williamson, R. Taylor, Elliott, Anderson, Ronchi, Vettori, Milne Southee, Boult

England stick with a four-man seam attack and that could be more suited to the New Zealand conditions than those in Melbourne. It is pretty clear overhead at present, but traditionally there is some swing around. James Tredwell again sits out while Gary Ballance gets another chance at three.

The Kiwis justifiably see no reasons to make changes. Their well-balanced batting lineup is firing and they may just have the best new-ball partnership in the world in Tim Southee and Trent Boult.

Toss won - Morgan's first job is done. Now he has to focus on getting a score. The captain has four ducks in seven innings and a couple more low scores could see the pressure raised to Alastair Cook levels.

James Taylor was the shining light in England's dismal batting effort against the Aussies, although cruelly denied a century by some incompetent umpiring. He's down to come in at six again.

© Getty Images

The players are out for the national anthems. A variety of approaches; Morgan stern faced, Jos Buttler the proud choir boy, Tredwell reluctantly mumbling along. First ball is about seven minutes away.

Brilliant atmosphere and lots of England fans here! National anthems about to be sung! #LoveEngland #NZvEng pic.twitter.com/WsXCOZ3en5 — England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 20, 2015

Bell and Moeen make their way to the middle. How they set the tone will be so important. England need to post over 300 to stand a good chance and so often they leave themselves too much to do later on.

Here we go then, Southee to Bell. McCullum has three slips in place. Play!

Immediately some swing for Southee and Bell only plays one shot throughout a good opening over, opening the face on one which goes down comfortably before it reaches Ross Taylor at second slip. The single run comes courtesy of a harsh wide which swung after it past the batsman.

McCullum sticks another slip in for Boult to Moeen and the left-armer is straight on the money. Mooen gets off the mark with a quick single into the offside and Bell follows him by flicking to the long leg boundary fielder. A slightly mistimed drive to the right of mid-off brings Moeen another one.

There's been plenty of rain in Wellington and that's evident as an elegant straight drive from Bell, who had been afforded the strike by a leg bye, slows up and only brings him a single. A Southee bouncer is leg side of Moeen and called wide. He tries to test the Worcestershire man with another short ball which Moeen is quickly onto, pulling down and away to the fence for England's first boundary.

Another seven-run over for England, which begins with Bell taking advantage of only the slight width on offer from Boult to carve him through point for four. A single each follows and Bell then retains the strike for the next over with a chop down to third man, a shot that he uses heavily in all formats.

WICKET! IAN BELL bowled SOUTHEE 8(17) A early breakthrough for New Zealand and it is the big wicket of Bell, who is bowled playing a loose drive. It is a pretty good seed from Southee to be fair, full enough to draw Bell into the drive and it just moves away a fraction late and cannons into off stump.

An eventful over, to say the least! Southee follows up his Bell beauty with a really good inswinger which Ballance manages to squeeze out to fine leg for a single. Moeen, unperturbed by losing his opening partner, perfectly executes the straight drive that Bell was looking for, timing it beautifully down the ground for four. Southee overcorrects and throws out a couple of wide ones which Moeen throws the bat at. The first shot flies over the covers to the boundary and is more convincing than the second, which is a thick edge over the slips for another four. Moeen is 19 from 12 now.

Boult hits Ballance on the pads first ball. There's a big shout from the bowler and he and wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi persuade McCullum to use his review. after umpire Rod Tucker gives it not out. It did appear to be going down leg, and height could also have been an issue. Hawk-eye supports my initial impression and Ballance survives. The Yorkshire batter nudges one through point and two off his legs either side of a Moeen single, but does not look sure of himself.

WICKET! MOEEN ALI bowled SOUTHEE 20(15) Brilliant bowling again from Southee. He forces Moeen back with a really good bouncer, which is actually given a wide, and the England opener is stuck in his crease for the inswinging yorker follow up which surprises him and may have just beaten him for pace too. The classic one-two from Southee, and it is too good for Moeen, whose short-ball issue crops up again.

Joe Root is the new man in and has a huge innings to play here. He chases a wide one second ball, showing that even the usually unflappable succumb to pressure now and again. He plays out the rest of the over with more assurance, but the scalp of Moeen makes it a great one for Southee.

Boult is a bit straight to Ballance and slides one down the leg side before allowing him to pick off a single to square leg. An effort ball to Root sees the Kiwi end up on the canvas. Unharmed, he gets back on his feet to finish the over with another ball on the pads with Root flicks for one.

A drop and run from Root into the offside brings Ballance on strike. The left-hander stays very deep in his crease and this is giving Southee cause for optimism as he gets one to nip back. A decent lbw shout is turned down, and this one would have been overturned on review had McCullum called for hawk-eye, which he did not. England scamper through for a leg bye and Root rotates the strike again with another quick single.

Four dots from Boult start the final over of the bowling powerplay. He digs it in shorter and Root helps it around the corner to the fine leg fielder for one. Ballance blocks out the last ball and a powerplay which started promisingly for England has ended with them two down and below fives.

Bowling change. England will be relieved to see the back of Southee, but Adam Milne immediately has his tail up and gets Ballance ducking with a couple of brisk short balls. The accuracy is not quite there, though, and England pick up a couple of wides to go with Root's single to third man.

Root tucks off his hip for a single second ball and the focus is back on Ballance. Boult looks to have the beating of his tentative defence on the fourth-stump line, but he presents the number three with a couple of freebies. Ballance firstly pushes into the leg side for two and then steers him through third man of a length. Only great fielding from Milne prevents a boundary and England run three.

New Zealand have bowled well so far & England need Ballance (9*) & Root (6*) to ride the storm, 51-2 #NZvEng #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/fqqCSfzKZm — England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 20, 2015

The first boundary in eight overs comes from the middle of Root's bat as he drives between point and cover for four. Milne is attempting to tuck Ballance up with some back-of-a-length stuff, but he drifts too straight on the final ball and is worked down to long leg for a single.

WICKET! GARY BALLANCE caught WILLIAMSON bowled BOULT 10(26) What a soft way to go for Ballance. There has been a sense that he has been looking for a release shot for the last couple of overs and he tries a pull shot that is not on. The ball from Boult was not short enough and it is on Ballance too quickly. He ends up weakly toeing the ball straight to Williamson at short extra cover, and he takes a simple catch. England in big trouble now and Morgan on the way to the crease under huge pressure.

I'm sure Morgan would rather not have faced Boult first up. McCullum's decision to give the left-armer a seventh over on the spin had already paid dividends with Ballance's wicket and he nearly gets the England skipper too. He is hopping around all over the place, but just survives the over.

The wily Daniel Vettori replaces Milne and Root works him through point for a second-ball single. The introduction of spin into the attack may be welcomed by Morgan, but his nerves are apparent as he tries to come through for one and is sent back by Root as Boult quickly gathers the ball and whips it in for Ronchi to whip the bails off. Morgan off the mark! Two through point gets that monkey off the captain's back but, boy oh boy, do England need plenty more from him today. Drinks.

Interesting, positive move from McCullum as he keeps Boult on for another set after drinks. England run consecutive threes, no mean feat on this small ground square of the wicket, with Root driving square and Morgan guiding through a packed off-side field. Root punches through cover for a single to end a seven-run over, which would have been more had it not been for brilliant NZ fielding. Williamson and McCullum both made athletic diving stops.

Root and Morgan each take singles down the ground off Vettori. The Yorkshireman likes to work spin into the leg side and he does that here for a couple which take him to 20. Morgan has five.

Boult's opening spell of 8-1-30-1 comes to an end as Milne comes back into the attack. Morgan is happy to have a look at New Zealand's third seamer. The line is good, angling the ball across the left-hander, who produces a couple of brave leaves. The first maiden of the innings.

Just the one off this Vettori set too as the slow left-arm tweaker varies his pace intelligently to prevent Root from being able to simply work the ball into the on-side. The fourth ball has a bit of extra flight and Root drives to long-off for one before Morgan blocks out the remainder.

He is really steaming in now, Milne. He approaches the crease with some gusto, and his enthusiasm perhaps gets the better of him as he digs a bouncer in which Root hooks for a one-bounce four, although he may not have been in total control of the shot. The middle-order rock had already collected two with a dab to third man and finds the same fielder for one more later in the over. Morgan subdued at the moment, just feeling his way in.

A quick over from Vettori. Three singles come off the first five balls and Morgan then shows a glimmer of confidence by taking a ball from a leg-stump line and cutting it through point for two.

Root has played nicely square on the off-side so far and he picks up another single with a punch off a rising Milne delivery. An even shorter ball is smartly pulled around the corner by Morgan for one, but the shot of the over comes from Root, stroking through mid-on, only for three thanks to McCullum's excellent chase and dive. The Black Caps may have saved 15 runs in the field already.

All-rounder Corey Anderson is thrown the ball. His first over goes for seven and includes a wide and what could be a confidence-boosting boundary for the England skipper, who crunches a full, wide half-volley to the cover fence. A single to mid-wicket takes him to 14, Root is 35 off 51.

A change of ends for Vettori, and, with the help of the diving Boult, he restricts the England batsman to just a single each. Vettori is bowling round the wicket, outside leg stump to Morgan, just back of a length and giving him little safe option but to try to work the ball between the two in-ring fielders either side of square. Root uses his feet and flicks through mid-wicket, with Boult's good work preventing two.

England reach the halfway stage at 102-3, with Morgan and Root having produced a steady yet unspectacular rearguard. The second of three leg single leg byes in the over brings up the century milestone, and Morgan slashes a wide one to a floating fielder on the point line to finish the over.

WICKET! EOIN MORGAN caught MILNE bowled Vettori 17(41) I have mentioned several times already how good New Zealand have been in the field, and Adam Milne has just taken a superb catch to dismiss Morgan! The England skipper was just starting to look more assured and he chips over the top, seemingly into safe space. But Milne darts around from long-on, making up a lot of ground before diving full length to cling on to a stunner low to the ground! It's a slight improvement for Morgan, but another failure nonetheless as he goes for 17.

How good was this catch from @AdamMilne19 to dismiss @Eoin16? LIVE: http://t.co/Gq47daYAHZ #cwc15 #NZvENG pic.twitter.com/wD8QfkSpyL

— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) February 20, 2015

WICKET! JAMES TAYLOR bowled SOUTHEE 0(2) Oh dear. A double blow for England, but masterful stuff from New Zealand, firstly from McCullum to sense England's vulnerability and bring back Southee, and then from the strike bowler to produce another near-unplayable delivery. Taylor had nervously jabbed at a wide one first up, but there is little he can do about about an outswinging yorker which sneaks past his edge and takes out off stump. Not much you can do about that second ball. The Black Caps are all over England now.

Vice-captain Buttler comes out to join Root and McCullum's brain is buzzing. Three slips in, five catchers in total, and a near-vacant on-side field. He is inviting Buttler to play into leg, and he does by nudging two to get off the mark and bring to an end another great Southee over.

Root survives an lbw shout against Vettori, which appeared to be pad first and was certainly hitting the stumps. He and Buttler each push a single into the off-side as England take two off the over.

WICKET! JOS BUTTLER caught RONCHI bowled SOUTHEE 3(7) Southee is at it again and Buttler is his latest victim! It is a loose, irresponsible drive from Buttler, but there is a hint of movement away from the bat as the ball catches the edge on its way through to Ronchi. This is going from bad to worse for England.

WICKET! CHRIS WOAKES bowled SOUTHEE 1(2) Five-for for Southee and this is as good as the rest! The new man Woakes only just dug out a superb yorker, a repeat of the Taylor wicket, down to third man first ball, but gets no respite as Root immediately puts him back on strike. Two balls is enough for Southee as he goes wide of the crease, angling it into Woakes and taking it away from him to hit the poles again.

Root's latest partner is Broad, who slices one down to third man first ball. England's last recognised batsman gets one himself off the last ball and is now on 39 off 63 balls, but in danger of being stranded.

McCullum is smelling blood now. He brings back Boult to finish England off. Root runs one down to third man, but will be worried to see Broad hopping about everywhere. He is showing no intent to get in line and support his teammate. One into the leg-side means that he now has Southee to face.

WICKET! STUART BROAD caught VETTORI bowled SOUTHEE 4(10) This was as predictable as it was cowardly from Broad. He gets away with one lucky swing over mid-wicket which brings him two, but he gets nothing of another hopeless waft and Vettori holds on at mid-off to earn Southee a sixth wicket. Such a weak dismissal from Broad when his team needed him to hang around.

The two batsman crossed while the ball was in the air and therefore Root is on strike. He will not want to lose another partner to Southee's excellence and thus dead bats the final two deliveries.

Boult finishes with a maiden. His figures of 10-2-32-1 will pale in comparison to Southee's, but he has done his job superbly too. The Watford wall Steven Finn sees out his last over with some stoutly defence.

WICKET! STEVEN FINN caught TAYLOR bowled SOUTHEE 0(8) Finn's resistance does not last long. It seems nobody, but Root perhaps, can resist a career-best spell from Southee. This isn't his best ball, but the swing has him worried and he prods at a wide one which gently falls into the hands of Taylor at slip. Root shakes his head in dismay as another partner quickly comes and goes.

Wellington stands in applause for Tim Southee, who now has 9-0-33-7. They are the best figures ever by a New Zealander in ODI cricket and he has one final over to get to the best World Cup figures of all time - nobody has ever taken an eight-for. He may have a chance to make history!

WICKET! JOE ROOT caught VETTORI bowled MILNE 46(70) Southee won't have a chance to get that eight-for, because England's horrendous collapse is complete. Root, the only batsman who can hold his head high after today, goes after Milne, who had replaced Boult in the attack, and cuts him powerfully to the boundary first ball. A straighter short ball gets high on him, and he skies a hook out to Vettori to take a fairly simple catch at fine leg.

A disastrous hour for England. They go from 102-3 to 123 all out in less than nine overs. The most abject of displays, but credit must go to NZ's outstanding application. Southee's bowling, McCullum's captaincy, the fielding of the whole side. They are the real deal and genuine contenders in this tournament.

The Black Caps should have no problem knocking this total off when they begin shortly. England's only hope is that James Anderson can produce a Southee-esque spell. Clutching at straws perhaps?

Here is what Southee had to say to Sky Sports as he left the field: "It's a bit of a blur at the moment. We're good swing bowlers and even losing the toss, the ball swung around all innings. The ball stayed in reasonable shape all the way through so that's all I can put it down to.

"We've done half the job, so hopefully we can do the other half."

Tim Southee. 7-33. Best-ever by a NZ bowler. Eng 123 all out. http://t.co/hnSQCWgUgU #nzveng #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/FHt6JiUX4Z

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 20, 2015

A quick turnaround. The second innings is already about to begin. Anderson to Guptill. A mammoth 124 to win and make it three victories from three at their home World Cup for the Black Cats. Play.

The Kiwis are off to a flyer. Anderson helps them out with a wide first up and the next few are not much better as Guptill crunches him through extra cover for four. A flying edge down to third man gives him three and McCullum is off the mark first ball with a single in the same area.

Wellington are throwing a party and McCullum is providing them with the entertainment. He steps back to Broad's first ball to carve him over point for six - the first of the match. He then hits three fours to finish the over, charging Broad and hitting him over mid-on before twice smashing him over the off-side ring, showcasing incredible wrist power to flail the ball to the fence. This is going to end quickly.

Guptill flashes at a wide one which goes into third man's hands on the bounce. McCullum is back on strike and gives Anderson the same treatment, carving him through the off-side to the boundary between cover and point twice before nicking the strike with a single off the final ball.

Broad lasts only one over as Finn comes on, but he fares even worse. McCullum welcomes him with a massive six, down the wicket and slashing him over extra cover, 10 rows back to a man who may or may not have clung on to earn a share of $1m dollars. McCullum then produces his most skilful shot yet, glancing the ball over the wicketkeeper's head after Finn had looked to cramp him for room with a bouncer. Back of a length, and McCullum pulls for four to bring up New Zealand's 50 off 3.4 overs. That's only 22 balls. Incredible. A full length and he swats Finn back over his head for a third maximum. The biggest surprise? He plays and misses at the last ball. He's still 48 from 17, mind you.

Guptill brings some relative calm back to proceedings and yet 10 still comes off the over. A wicked whip to the mid-wicket fence takes him into double figures (c'mon Martin, get on with it), and a straying Anderson then gifts five extras with a wide and four leg byes. England are all over the place. The crowd jeer as Guptill takes a single to deny McCullum the strike at the start of the next over.

This is absolutely unbelievable hitting from Brendon McCullum. I've never seen anything quite like it, and I doubt Finn has ever been treated with such disdain. Guptill does his job, getting the main man back on strike after rolling his wrists on a tidy pull which flies to the boundary. McCullum then smashes four consecutive sixes, firstly backing away to cut over point to break his own record of fastest World Cup fifty (18 balls). Another maximum follows into the stands over cover. Finn doesn't know what length to bowl. He switches to full and McCullum clears his front leg to twice blast him over long-off. He is 72 off 21 balls, while Finn has gone for 49 off two. Don't think he'll be bowling a third over.

Three more leg byes brings McCullum back on strike, and the showman immediately capitalises on a wayward Anderson slower ball by flicking it to square-leg boundary. A subdued finish to the over as he pushes a single to the fielder at long-off. New Zealand need only 19 more to win.

WICKET! BRENDON McCULLUM bowled WOAKES 77(24) The McCullum show comes to an end as he bottom edges Chris Woakes's first ball, a full toss, onto his own stumps. That's where you were going wrong Steve, no need to pitch it. What a remarkable innings from the Black Caps captain. 77 off 25 balls, eight fours and seven massive sixes. A strike rate of 308.00 and one for the highlight reel.

HE'S DONE IT AGAIN! Brendon McCullum has broken his own record for the fastest World Cup Fifty. #NZvENG #cwc15 pic.twitter.com/ldOwjtBLXp

— ICC (@ICC) February 20, 2015

Williamson is the new man at the crease and he takes a different approach to McCullum, getting off the mark with a classic straight drive through mid-on which goes to the rope. This next over is scheduled to be the last before the lunch break. I'm sure the umpires will allow New Zealand to complete this run chase without the need for that. England will be desperate to get off the field for good.

LUNCH: I do not believe this. New Zealand need 12 runs to win and the players have been called off for the designated lunch break. The crowd boo, and rightly so. What a farce. At the current run rate it would take less than two overs. When will common sense prevail in cricket?

England's performance had put me in a bad mood. McCullum's power, skill and bravery had briefly put an appreciative smile on my face, but now I am really miffed again. Lunch? Lunch? New Zealand need 12 to win and have nine wickets and 41 overs with which to do it. Protocol gone mad.

Anyway, this ludicrous break gives me the opportunity to dissect exactly where England went wrong.

Where to start?...

Southee bowled incredibly well, but there are too many of England's batting lineup out of form, and not enough of them capable of playing with the purpose and ferocity needed in modern day ODI cricket. And that is a problem in itself, England have not adapted to the changes in ODI cricket as other countries have.

Moeen and Morgan are two players who fit the mould, but the former has one half-century in 11 innings and a clear weakness with the short ball, while the latter is as out of sorts as England have ever seen him. The Gary Ballance at three experiment has not worked. Alex Hales and Ravi Bopara are more suited to this format and would surely be worthy of a go against Scotland on Sunday.

The one-paced bowling attack also appears to be in need of a shake-up. Broad has long under-performed in ODIs and is no longer able to make contributions with the bat either. The cowardly manner of his dismissal today was perhaps a droppable offence on its own. Chris Jordan is a talented, multi-faceted young cricketer knocking on the door and the dependable James Tredwell continues to bring on drinks.

This performance is sure to stir debate ahead of Friday night in the pub. I'm sure many of you have given up and gone to bed, but if you want to get involved, tweet your team suggestion to @SportsMole.

New Zealand are back out to put England out of their misery. I have no doubt whose cucumber sandwiches would have tasted better at lunch. Woakes to Guptil, 112-1, 12 to win. Play.

WICKET! MARTIN GUPTILL bowled WOAKES 22(22) Wouldn't you just know it? Guptill gets strongly in behind Woakes's first two balls but the third nips back a bit and clips his pad on its way into the stumps. The Kiwi opener comes to lament that barmy break and now Woakes has two-for.

Number four Ross Taylor whips nicely through the leg-side to take the Black Caps to the second highest 10-over World Cup score in history. Broad is back into the attack. Keep it tight Broady lad and let Chrissy do the damage at the other end. He's got eight more in him. Eight runs to win.

Williamson gets on top of the ball and angles two into the leg-side. He is then quick to attack a Broad bouncer and pulls to the man sweeping at square leg for a single. Five to win for NZ.

The Kiwis are still going at effectively 10 an over despite Williamson playing out a maiden off Woakes. He is determined to get a red inker, which means bonus points for my fantasy team!

Things end appropriately as far as England's performance is concerned. Broad bangs in a bouncer which flies over the heads of Williamson and Buttler and runs away for five wides.

An absolutely hammering for England. No way to disguise it. Scotland next up on Sunday and the fragile confidence in the camp after two heavy defeats means that could now be a banana skin.

On the other hand, New Zealand were outstanding in all three suits. McCullum did his best to steal the show from him, but Southee was undoubtedly man of the match with the best ODI figures by a Kiwi bowler in history. They are top of Pool A with three wins from three, with England rooted to the bottom.

That's it from me. I'm going to sleep. Please wake me up when England dramatically change their philosophy to one-day cricket. Sports Mole will be bringing you live coverage of both Pakistan vs. West Indies and Australia vs. Bangladesh tomorrow night, so do rejoin us then. Until next time...