KEY POINTS:
Don't panic, and be patient, New Zealand cricket coach John Bracewell pleaded once again after his side's innings defeat against England capped a tumultuous fortnight.
It was all over one hour into the fourth day at Trent Bridge, as England mopped up the New Zealand tail to dismiss the tourists for 232 and win the third test by an innings and nine runs for a 2-0 series victory.
Much like the meek collapse at Old Trafford which began their series slide, the last five New Zealand wickets fell for 35 runs in the space of seven overs before a big crowd at a sun-drenched Trent Bridge.
Allrounder Jacob Oram swung his hefty blade for an unbeaten 50 off 39 balls, including two huge sixes, but England left-armer Ryan Sidebottom took four for five in 20 deliveries to end with six for 76.
After New Zealand forced a brave draw at Lord's and took a dominant position at the halfway point at Old Trafford, all the pre-series predictions then came true.
Sunday Telegraph cricket writer Scyld Berry wrote New Zealand's first innings collapse for 123 here confirmed them as having the weakest specialist batting of any side to tour England in 20 years, except Zimbabwe or Bangladesh.
New Zealand dropped three more points on the world test ladder, still ranked seventh, although eighth-placed West Indies will loom in the rearview mirror if they can upset Australia this week.
Bracewell said England's swing bowling, led by man of the match James Anderson, was too good and his batsmen "weren't really up to it".
Bracewell's poor test record in charge will again come under scrutiny, while he insisted he was developing the best possible lineup as they eye eight tests in the next nine months, two each against Bangladesh, Australia (both away), India and West Indies.
"If we're patient enough and persistent enough, eventually we'll end up with an era of very good cricketers," Bracewell said.
"We can't afford to (panic), our cupboard isn't that full anyway. We've picked the right guys, it's just keep exposing them (to test cricket)."
Just four of his side - captain Daniel Vettori, Oram, Brendon McCullum and Chris Martin - had more than 15 tests to their name.
Daniel Flynn was the future test batsman to emerge in his debut series, batting 152 minutes for 49 in gloomy light yesterday after having his teeth smashed by a James Anderson bouncer.
Alas there was no such grit from the lower order today as Oram hit out but handy batsmen Gareth Hopkins, Vettori and Kyle Mills were removed cheaply.
"It sums up the state of affairs that we're in, that we were able to compete for a period of time but unable to compete for a whole five days," Vettori said.
"In the last six test matches the only time we did that was in Hamilton (a 189-run win). Every other time we haven't been able to keep up with the pace with England.
"I suppose it's a lack of ability on our part, maybe a lack of fortitude as well."
England captain Michael Vaughan, whose side moved past India to third on the world rankings, rated Anderson and Broad's 76-run stand for the eighth wicket on day two as the match-turning moment.
New Zealand had won the toss and reduced England to 86 for five in their first innings.
"That seemed to knock the stuffing out of New Zealand, because we always knew the ball was going to swing around here and our bowlers would be suited to these kind of conditions."
SCOREBOARD
England
First innings 364
New Zealand
First innings 123
Second innings (177-5 overnight)
J How c Cook b Sidebottom 19
A Redmond c Ambrose b Broad 2
B McCullum b Anderson 71
R Taylor lbw b Broad 14
D Flynn c Ambrose b Sidebottom 49
G Hopkins c Ambrose b Sidebottom 12
J Oram not out 50
D Vettori c Pietersen b Sidebottom 1
K Mills c Strauss b Sidebottom 2
I O'Brien c Collingwood b Sidebottom 4
C Martin c Collingwood b Anderson 0
Extras (3b, 4lb, 1w) 8
Total (72.3 overs) 232
Fall: 21 (Redmond), 33 (How), 58 (Taylor), 152 (McCullum), 169 (Flynn), 197 (Hopkins), 205 (Vettori), 221 (Mills), 225 (O'Brien), 232 (Martin).
Bowling: R Sidebottom 24-7-67-6, J Anderson 14.3-3-55-2, S Broad 21-4-77-2 (1w), M Panesar 11-3-21-0, P Collingwood 2-1-5-0.
Result: England won by an innings and nine runs, won three-test series 2-0.
- NZPA
