Martin Guptill made the highest score by a New Zealand batsman in one-day cricket - his second hundred in three days - and his monumental, unbeaten 189 powered the visitors to a mammoth 359 for 3 at the Ageas Bowl which left England a huge task to avoid their first home ODI series defeat since 2009.
Guptill went past the previous individual mark of 172 by Lou Vincent against Zimbabwe during the penultimate over of the innings. The final 10 overs were carnage, costing 132 runs, as Guptill and Brendon McCullum brought up their hundred stand - the third of the innings - in just 45 deliveries as England's bowling was scattered to all corners.
As at Lord's, Guptill was dropped. Here he was on 13 when he pulled Chris Woakes to midwicket where Jonathan Trott spilled a head-height catch. And as at Lord's he made England pay with a century in 111 balls - his fourth in ODIs. He equalled Viv Richards' 189 at Old Trafford in 1984 as the highest innings against England in an ODI.
His two hundreds in three days was also a repeat of the feat achieved by Mark Greatbatch, the only other New Zealand batsman to score a one-day ton in England, when he notched back-to-back landmarks in 1990.
Two partnerships formed the bedrock of the New Zealand innings which allowed the later onslaught: Guptill and Kane Williamson added 120 for the second wicket, then Ross Taylor joined in a third-wicket alliance worth 109 in 17 overs as the innings accelerated. Not that Taylor's departure slowed things down as Guptill and McCullum ensured mayhem in the closing overs with the last 18 balls costing 54 runs.
Apart from James Anderson first spell, England's bowling was disappointing throughout, occasionally verging on woeful, albeit on the best batting surface of the international season so far, coupled with a lightning fast outfield.
Anderson made an early breakthrough for England by knocking back Luke Ronchi's middle stump to continue his lean start with the bat. Tim Bresnan, who is waiting in news of his heavily pregnant wife, was also economical with the new ball as England kept control during the first Powerplay but that wasn't to last.
Woakes, after suffering a dropped catch off his bowling for the second time in three days, sent down another expensive opening spell which cost 29 as New Zealand's second-wicket pair increased the tempo. Both Guptill and Williamson timed the ball beautifully square of the wicket - particularly off the back foot - although Guptill nearly picked out mid-off when he drove Woakes uppishly but it would have taken a super-human leap from Alastair Cook to intercept.
Joe Root was the first spin option used by England and when Graeme Swann did come on his first ball was crunched through cover by Guptill. Williamson, who fell for a duck two days ago, completed an unfussy half-century off 59 balls, his tally of three fours highlighting the efficient running which kept the pressure firmly on England - a point hammered home when Guptill dismissively pulled Woakes for six off the front foot - before Williamson bottom-edged a pull off Swann into his stumps.
Taylor took time to play himself in; he used 28 balls to reach 21, then clubbed 39 off his next 26 deliveries which included two sixes, one from a full toss by Bresnan, then a second with a trademark bottom-hand flick against Anderson. He fell next ball attempting a repeat - Woakes having an age to wait for the ball to drop to him at deep square-leg - but the damage had been done.
Guptill just kept on going. He went from 100 to 150 in 30 deliveries, his second six just clearing Root at long-on when he lofted Swann, and six of the last seven balls he faced went to the boundary. England were left shell-shocked.
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