New Zealand claimed a sweet one-wicket victory at the Oval after relations with England soured drastically.
With two runs required, last man Mark Gillespie hit the ball to cover and set off for a run, Graeme Swann fielded and shied at the stumps at the bowler's end, missing those who had gathered to collect and allowing their opponents an extra overthrow.
It was poetic justice for the tourists, who go 2-1 up in the series with one to play.
Earlier their run chase was embroiled in controversy after Grant Elliott was run out following a collision.
With 26 runs required, Elliott was knocked to the floor by bowler Ryan Sidebottom, who ran across the batsman's path to field the ball in his follow-through.
Elliott had bottom-edged into the pitch and was called through for a single by eighth-wicket partner Kyle Mills.
With Elliott poleaxed by the inadvertent body-check, Ian Bell swooped to throw to Kevin Pietersen, who removed the bails at the bowler's end.
Then, after a few minutes delay while Elliott lay receiving treatment, England captain Paul Collingwood spurned the opportunity to withdraw his team's appeal.
Under the laws of the game, a captain has that right to do so with the umpire's consent but failure to invoke it left New Zealand 8-220 in the 44th over - and the Black Caps' senior players Daniel Vettori and Scott Styris fuming on their dressing room balcony.
Both players vented their frustration at England's adjacent dressing room.
Just a week ago, Vettori was angered by English 'gamesmanship' at Edgbaston, where New Zealand was denied a win by rain coming six balls before a result could be secured.
At the end of the game Collingwood appeared to be shunned when he went to the New Zealand dressing room.
It was the second dispute between the two sides in the series after the Edgbaston encounter had been abandoned with only one more over needed to be bowled by England to obtain a positive result in the rain-affected fixture.
On that occasion New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori had accused England of gamesmanship after it bowled only 19 overs in 83 minutes before the heavens opened.
After Elliott's loss, England sensed the chance to snatch the win and Tim Southee was run out by Ian Bell's direct hit from extra cover to leave New Zealand on 9-233.
But Mills and Gillespie had other ideas and nudged their side over the finishing line, meaning New Zealand is one victory away from redeeming a miserable tour.
The tourists lost two early wickets to fit-again paceman Ryan Sidebottom - Brendon McCullum had not scored when he chased a wide delivery from Sidebottom and edged to Graeme Swann at first slip.
Ross Taylor (six) went for a big hit over mid-wicket against Sidebottom and skied a catch to Stuart Broad running around from mid-on.
Styris was put down by Owais Shah at first slip off Anderson and Paul Collingwood at full stretch got both hands on the ball but was unable to hold on.
And one run later Styris was given another life when Broad failed to hang onto a caught and bowled chance.
The third wicket pair of Jamie How and Styris added 59 in 13 overs but the introduction of spinner Graeme Swann to the attack brought instant success when How (37) was caught and bowled by Swann.
The game was back in the balance when Daniel Flynn