Ross Taylor scores brilliant century as New Zealand beat spirited England

Ross Taylor rolled back the years with a masterful century as New Zealand levelled the one-day series against England with a rain-affected victory in a high-scoring match at The Oval.

Taylor made 119 not out as the tourists amassed their second highest ever one-day total of 398 for 5, with Kane Williamson chipping in with 93.

England continued their newly-adopted positive approach as they gallantly hunted down the daunting total from the outset, with captain Eoin Morgan leading from the front.

Alex Hales made a half century but when Morgan was dismissed for 88 the momentum swung New Zealand's way until Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid put on 70 for the eighth wicket.

The hosts needed 54 runs from 37 balls to complete a remarkable victory when the inclement weather came but upon the resumption following a 50-minute delay the re-adjusted total of 379 meant England required 34 from 13 balls.

That scenario proved a step too far as England finished on 365 for 9, as New Zealand squared the five-match series at 1-1 with a 13-run win, ahead of the third match in Southampton on 14 June.

Amid the anti-climatic end to the highest scoring match on English shores, the day belonged to the re-birth of Taylor who after being previously stripped of the New Zealand captaincy and suffering from personal problems off the field the innings represented a true return to form.

In an attempt to fight fire with fire after England's record-breaking margin of victory at Edgbaston, Brendon McCullum defied logic amid overcast conditions and chose to bat after winning the toss in south London.

McCullum (39) then took that typically positive approach into his innings with the bat as he tore into the England openers with a flurry of sixes off Chris Jordan, the second of which bouncing out of The Oval ground.

The Kiwi skipper was soon dismissed after a horribly miss-timed pull was caught by Ben Stokes off Plunkett, but McCullum's innings had set the tone of what was to come from the tourists.

Martin Guptill (50) and new man Williamson continued the approach and though the former was dismissed after he clipped Ben Stokes straight to Jordan at an unorthodox short midwicket, New Zealand were already sensing a bid total.

Williamson and Taylor, who was dropped by Jason Roy on seven, made that reality with a breath-taking partnership of 121 as they hit England's bowlers to all parts of the ground.

It was Williamson who went to his half-century first but he would be denied a seventh one-day century as a border-line no-ball from Stokes was only fended off as far as Plunkett.

New Zealand were unperturbed and as Taylor marched towards three figures, Grant Elliot played the perfect innings of pinch-hitting with 32 from 29 balls, including two sixes.

Jordan, who equalled Steve Harmison's record of 97 runs conceded in a one-day match for England, trapped Elliot but Taylor was not to be denied as he crashed his way to his 13th career one-day hundred.

With Rashid and Jordan being taken apart, New Zealand sensed an opportunity to match England's 408 from the first one-day game and though Luke Ronchi (33) and Mitchell Saunter (15 not out) both hit a glittering array of boundaries, the away side finished on 398 for 5.

Having conceded their highest ever one-day score, England faced needing to all-but repeat their heroics from three days previous in order to take a 2-0 lead in the series.

Despite starting slowly, Roy and Hales were soon into their stride with the latter showing his destructive qualities with a mammoth six into the first tier in one of three hits over the boundary rope.

Roy (39) meanwhile produced a more nervy innings and it was no surprise when he was dismissed with 85 on the board as after being dropped by Nathan McCullum on 12 he found the clutches of Taylor off the same player.

The dismissal was the first of three in the space of four overs as Joe Root (6) top edged Santner to McCullum before Hales (54) repeated the feat and found Trent Boult out in the deep.

Stokes continued England's positive approach with a six which hit the electronic scoreboard over mid-wicket but his over-ambition led to his downfall as he edged Mitchell McClenaghan behind after making 28.

But England remained in the hunt to claim an unlikely victory with Morgan the linchpin of the innings, as he reached his half-century from 28 balls and put on 50 for the fifth wicket with Buttler after a flashing drive through cover.

As Buttler continued to rotate the strike, it was Morgan who took centre stage with a stunning array of shots down the ground as he honed in on just a second one-day century since January 2014.

New Zealand grabbed a critical breakthrough as Buttler got a bottom edge to a Boult delivery and was caught behind for 41, just as England soared ahead of the required run rate.

However, there was to be no immediate England revival as Morgan slashed McClenaghan straight to Elliot and when Sam Billings cut to Guptill as point it all but end their hopes of completing the most remarkable of chases.

Plunkett and Rashid staged a recovery and put on 70 for the eighth wicket but any hopes of clinching victory were dashed by a deluge of rain meant upon the resumption England were set an ambitions new total of 379.

Despite Plunkett (44) heaving a six over mid-wicket he was out two balls later, caught by McCullum, off the bowling of his older brother, and Rashid (34) fell after some remarkable fielding between Tim Southee and Boult to gift New Zealand victory.