Sidebottom Completes Job for England

England needed only an hour and a half to take the remaining New Zealand wickets and win the second Test at the Basin Reserve, leveling the three-match series. Resuming at 242 for six, New Zealand were able to add a further 69 runs before Brendon McCullum was the last man out for 85, with Ryan Side bottom claiming five for 105, his second five-wicket haul of the series. The victory, by 126 runs, means that the sides now go to Napier for the final Test at one match each in the series and with all to play for.

The four wickets taken in the first session of the fifth day completed what was England's first win away from their own shores in the 10 Tests since the 212-run victory over India in Mumbai in the third Test of that series in March 2006.

It was a fine match for the England bowlers, with Side bottom taking his series wickets total to 16, Jimmy Anderson marking his return to the side with seven in the match and Stuart Broad making a better impression than his three wickets suggest. The man-of-the-match award, however, went to Tim Ambrose for his first-innings century which proved the real difference between the teams, although he came down to earth as the game progressed, not least his wicket keeping.

Gone were the howling winds of the fourth day to be replaced by pristine weather: clear blue skies and a gentle zephyr. With the second new ball only a single over old, these would be good conditions for the bowlers to rediscover the movement that had destroyed New Zealand in the first innings.

The opening ball of the final day, sent down from the Members' end by Broad, showed all that was needed, darting away sharply and late to pass the groping blade of McCullum. In that single moment England must have known that the game was sewn up. The only issue would be what sort of a cameo performance they could expect from McCullum, New Zealand's extraordinary batsman. He showed his intent by stepping inside Broad's final ball and clipping it to fine leg for the day's first boundary.

Success was not long in arriving, though, for Side bottom, who had dismissed Jacob Oram in the gloom of the previous evening amid controversy. The left-armer found the tentative edge of Daniel Vettori's bat with his sixth delivery, Alastair Cook taking a solid catch low to his right at third slip.

Getting the balance right between attack and defence would be awkward for McCullum. The restrictions of one-day cricket do not apply in Tests and he was forced to duck and weave as Broad in particular sent down a succession of bouncers. A cover drive from Kyle Mills saw him on his way, before McCullum was able to dink Broad over the slips to reach his half-century. However, Mills had been looking an lbw candidate to Side bottom if only he could shift the line of his inswing a hair further over. One more clump through the covers and the job was done, giving Side bottom his fifth wicket.

Now, with Mark Gillespie for company, McCullum was more selective, waiting for the inevitable last-ball bouncer which, from Side bottom, he pulled for four and, from Broad, crisply for six.

After an hour, with no further wickets down, Michael Vaughan turned to Monty Panesar to replace Broad, but a single over proved enough. After McCullum had taken two more boundaries from Side bottom to move to 81, Anderson, five wickets to his credit in the first innings, was introduced for the first time in the morning.

Anderson's impact was immediate, for swinging the ball he beat the bat consistently, and then had McCullum, on 82, dropped by Andrew Strauss at first slip before snaring Gillespie in his second over. Now McCullum was left with statistically the worst batsman in international cricket. But Chris Martin did not get the chance to face a ball, for after two careful defensive shots at Panesar, who had now replaced Side bottom, McCullum heaved mightily at the third for Side bottom to complete the winning catch at wide long on in front of the Barmy Army. McCullum had made 85 from 116 balls with nine fours and three sixes.