England beat New Zealand in the second Test

England beat New Zealand by 126 runs in the second Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

England levelled the Test series after they bowled the hosts out for 311 on the fifth and final morning.

Left arm pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom, who captured 10 wickets in the first Test in Hamilton, provided the impetus for the visitors with five wickets in New Zealand’s second innings.

Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum had a swashbuckling 85 in an effort to help chase down the record 438 needed for victory but they fell well short.

Resuming on 242-6, New Zealand’s hopes of pulling off an improbable victory rested squarely on the shoulders of McCullum and captain Daniel Vettori.

The aggressive McCullum had two large swishes at Stuart Broad deliveries in the first over before he hooked him to the backward square boundary to open the day’s scoring.

However, Vettori was unable to reproduce the form that had given him two half centuries and he nicked a Sidebottom delivery to Alastair Cook at third slip in the second over of the day.

Vettori’s dismissal effectively ended New Zealand’s slim hopes of fashioning the victory, and first Test series win against England since 1999.

Fast bowler Kyle Mills, who has scored a first-class century and could have possibly held up one end while McCullum blazed away at the other, did not last long when he was trapped leg before for 13 by Sidebottom.

It was the left hander’s third five-wicket Test haul and he ended with figures of 5-105.

He also completed the victory when he caught McCullum at long-on, off Monty Panesar, for 85 about 35 minutes before lunch.

England’s victory tied the three-Test series at 1-1 heading into the third Test in Napier, beginning on Friday night.

Reuters