Blackcaps captain Tim Southee says his team have been given a serious wake-up call after their 76-run defeat to England in the fourth T20 in Napier.
After the visitors were sent into bat, Dawid Malan (103*) smashed a 48-ball century, the fastest in England's T20 history and skipper Eoin Morgan made a blistering 91 as the English finished 241/3, their highest ever T20 total.
Despite a valiant effort from the Blackcaps batsman, New Zealand fell short as England levelled the series, with only one game, in Auckland on Sunday, to come.
Southee said the Blackcaps tried to match fire with fire, instead of playing their game which proved to be their ultimate downfall.
"We fell into their rhythm, instead of doing what we're good at," he said after the match. "That can happen in T20, the guys will learn from it and move on.
"It's a good experience for our bowlers to be put under pressure. It's about learning as we go on, but we have to dust ourselves off, and there is a series to be won this weekend in Auckland."
England were 58/2 when Morgan joined Malan at the crease and the pair put on a massive 182-run partnership, the highest third-wicket partnership by any team in the history of T20I cricket and the fourth-highest partnership for any wicket.
Malan became only the second Englishman to hit a century in a T20International when he smacked his sixth six, reaching the mark quicker than Alex Hales with his 60-ball hundred against Sri Lanka during the 2014 World Cup.
Morgan's 91 was his highest score in the game's shortest format.
"It was a good display of hitting from both guys," Southee added. Malan played well, and he hits it with ease.
"He's easy on the eye to watch so hopefully he doesn't repeat that in Auckland."
In response, the Blackcaps got off to a bright start, reaching 54/0, but the wheels quickly fell off as they lost six wickets for 35 runs.
Southee finished as the Blackcaps' top scorer with 39, one of only five players to score at least 10 runs.
"We weren't going to roll over, and we needed things to go our way. The run rate was on par for long periods, but we were regularly losing wickets.
"It was a bridge too far tonight, but you have to have belief going into a chase like that.
"You have to learn from these experiences. You have to dust yourself off, and there is a series to be won in Auckland.
"It will be a chance for the guys to bounce back. I'll move on, and we look forward to hopefully winning the series."
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