The third and deciding test between England and New Zealand was hosted at a sold out DW Stadium in Wigan. After last weeks near stalemate in London, the packed crowd were hoping for more scoring incident to complement the aggressive defence.

Autumn had well and truly arrived and the teams emerged into a rain and wind lashed cauldron. For England, Matty Smith was into the halves in place of George Williams and Germaine McGillvary was making his England debut on the wing in the place of Joe Burgess. Last weeks victors New Zealand were unchanged, and full of confidence that they could seal the series victory and take the Baskerville Shield back to the Southern Hemisphere.

The opening minutes were all England and they hit the front with a fourth minute Gareth Widdop penalty after New Zealand interfered at the play-the-ball five metres from their own line.

Both sides brought a more expansive game, but defensive determination thwarted offensive flair until the twenty-fourth minute when a Matty Smith grubber split the Kiwis defence and Elliott Whitehead picked up a ricocheted ball to dove over. Widdop added the extras for 8-0.

Five minutes from the interval and New Zealand scored spectacular last play try as Jason Nightingale flew in at the corner avoiding a last ditch Hardaker tackle. Isaac Luke converted brilliantly from the touchline to reduce the margin to two points as we headed into the interval.

We had to wait through twenty-two minutes of second half arm wrestle before, against the run of play, fast hands found Elliott Whitehead who jinked twenty metres through three attempted tackles to get his second of the match. Widdop added the two and England were back to their eight point lead.

On seventy-one skipper Sean O'Loughlin appeared to have won the series for England when he crashed over off a short pass. Widdop converted from in front of the sticks for 20-6 with seven minutes remaining on the clock.

New Zealand struck straight back when a Jason Nightingale flick pass inside went into the hands of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to score. Luke failed to add the extras leaving England ten points ahead.

Two minutes from the end and Jordan Kahu went to ground to pick up a kick through and slide over. Luke failed to kick the conversion, hitting the right upright, and left his side a converted try behind a drawn game.

New Zealand were on the attack as the final hooter sounded but spilled the ball, much to the relief of the big Wigan crowd.

Another brilliant defensive effort from England secure the series win, the first for eight years. The boot of Widdop, with four goals, made the difference as both sides crossed the whitewash three times in a quality encounter, despite the terrible conditions. A true test match and probably the best of the three game series.

A brilliant 2015 season finished on a high with England picking up the silverware.

England: Hardaker, McGillvary, Bateman, Watkins, Hall, Widdop (4G), Smith, Graham, Hodgson, Hill, Whitehead (2T), Farrell, O'Loughlin (T). Subs: Roby, Burgess T., Cooper, Ferres.

New Zealand: Tuivasa-Sheck (T), Nightingale (T), Kahu (T), Whare, Kenny-Dowall, Hiku, Nikorima, Bromwich, Luke (G), Moa, Proctor, Harris, Blair. Subs: Glenn, Taupau, Matulino, Brown.

Referee: Ben Thaler (Eng)

Venue: DW Stadium, Wigan

Attendance: 24,741