'Atrocious batting': England fall back into slump as Kiwis produce 423-run victory in dead-rubber

England's troubling batting woes returned against New Zealand, suffering a horrific 423-run loss in the third and final Test of the series.

Tim Southee walked away from his 17-year long Test career in style as he assisted his team to equal the largest run record set by the Kiwis national team in the format.

It was a full circle moment for the 36-year-old as he stepped onto Seddon Park to conclude his career against the same opposition as his first international match in 2008.

READ MORE: Why Luai 'can't wait' for next chapter without star partner

READ MORE: League great weighs in on PNG team amid LGBTI concerns

READ MORE: 'See y'all there': Kyrgios drops Djoker doubles bombshell

Southee finished his career with 391 test wickets, second to Sir Richard Hadlee (431), after taking 2-34 in England's second innings.

"Well done Tim Southee for an outstanding career," Australian cricket commentator Jim Maxwell wrote on X.

While the celebrations of Southee's career began to kick off, the 'disappointing and careless" performance of England came under fire.

Late in the day on Monday, opening batter Ben Duckett was dismissed playing a loose shot and gave Southee his first of two wickets for the innings.

Ben Stokes battled the lingering tension of a hamstring injury as he was removed from the batting order and is expected to undergo scans.

Jacob Bethell and Joe Root made half centuries in a 104-run partnership but both fell before lunch as England battled to save the third test against New Zealand.

Root was out for 54 after compiling his 65th half century and 101st test innings of 50 or more while Bethell posted his third half century of the series and fell for 76.

At lunch England was 193-5, still trailing New Zealand by 464 runs with Ollie Pope 17 not out and Gus Atkinson 19.

England has an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after winning the first test by eight wickets and the second by 323 runs.

England began the day at 18-2 after losing Duckett and Zak Crawley late on the third day and after New Zealand declared with a mammoth lead of 657. The tourists lost Root, Bethell and Harry Brook (1) in an extended first session.

While an England win was always improbable as it would have to eclipse the previous highest winning fourth-innings score in tests of 418, there was at least a possibility it could bat for two days to draw the test and win the series 2-0.

The loss of Root, who looked in good form and of Brook who scored centuries in both of the first two tests has made that outcome more remote.

Play began half an hour early to make up time lost to rain on the third morning and Root, who resumed on 0, and Bethell, who started on 9, looked untroubled at first.

Bethell reached his half century from 53 balls with eight fours and a six and Root followed him to that milestone from 59 balls with nine fours.

The England batters were unsettled by another fiery spell by New Zealand fast bowler Will O'Rourke who reached speeds of 153 kph with the wind at his back.

He struck Root in the groin, which left him in discomfort for the rest of his innings, and hit Pope on the helmet as he ducked into a short ball.

Root was out soon after, trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner as he knelt to sweep. New Zealand's appeal was turned down by the on-field umpire but the replay showed the ball that had pitched on leg stump was straightening and hitting the middle stump.

Brook faced a series of extremely quick balls from O'Rourke and was caught when he fended a difficult delivery to Daryl Mitchell at first slip.

Bethell made 10 and 50 not out in the first test, 16 and 96 in the second and 12 and 76 in the third after stepping into a vacancy at No. 3 in the England order. He had reached 76 from 96 balls Tuesday when he sliced a ball from Southee to Glenn Phillips at third man.

Despite the poor result, England still return home with a 2-1 series triumph.