England v New Zealand - Joe Root helps hosts post testing total in Cardiff

The hosts appeared set for a bigger total on the back of half-centuries from second-wicket pair Joe Root (64) and Alex Hales (56) after being put in on a breezy day.

But neither was able to consolidate, and only when Jos Buttler (61no) provided a dash of late impetus did England pass the modern benchmark of 300 - without the game-breaking charge to put themselves out of sight.

Corey Anderson (3-55) and Adam Milne (3-79) kept nipping out wickets when the Kiwis needed them, and England had to settle for a score which could yet be vulnerable on a fair pitch and this small playing area.

Out-of-form opener Jason Roy was first to go again, at least reaching double-figures for the first time in six one-day international innings only to then walk across his stumps to be bowled round his legs in Milne’s first over.

Root and Hales, following up their stand of 159 in last week’s win over Bangladesh at The Oval, soon got to work again.

Hales was initially the driving force, but as his boundaries dried up Root took over by twice chipping Mitchell Santner for six over long-on - an ominous sight perhaps for England’s spinners, who must try to keep the Kiwi big-hitters in check later on.

Hales celebrated his second successive 50 by charging Milne to bludgeon him over long-off for six.

But for the second consecutive match, he was to go to the next ball after a maximum, this time undone by a slower variation from New Zealand’s quickest bowler - an attempted leg-break which went straight on to hit middle-stump as the opener aimed to whip runs off the back foot.

Eoin Morgan was threatening another good hand, after his unbeaten half-century at The Oval, but got a thin edge on a wide one up the wicket to Anderson to go like Roy for 13.

Root passed his 50 at near a run-a-ball but had little of the strike in a half-century stand with Ben Stokes, in which the new batsman bagged a hefty share of 36 - circumstances which perhaps played their part as the Yorkshireman departed in untypically ugly fashion to a chop-on when Anderson went slow and wide again, from round the wicket.

Stokes and Buttler appeared to have an ideal platform nonetheless, passing the 200 with almost 15 overs left.

But a lapse of concentration from the left-hander, two short of his 50, saw him caught at third-man upper-cutting Trent Boult - a moment which put the pressure on England to convert the innings’ promise into match-winning substance.

After Moeen Ali fell to a sharp catch at backward square-leg off Anderson, a third wicket for the addition of 42 in seven overs meant England still could not press the button.

They had to wait instead for Buttler - who reached his 41-ball 50 with his second six, smashing Milne off the back foot over long-off - to up the ante as 89 came from the last 10 overs, despite the loss of numbers 10 and 11 for golden ducks to Tim Southee as three balls were left unused.