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England secured victory in the third and deciding cricket test against New Zealand at McLean Park in Napier today though not before teenage debutant Tim Southee delayed the inevitable in spectacular fashion.
Southee slammed a stunning nine sixes and four boundaries to finish on 77 not out off 40 balls before the tourists secured victory shortly after lunch on the final day, dismissing New Zealand for 431.
Man of the match Ryan Sidebottom skittled Chris Martin for five to ensure a 121-run triumph and 2-1 series victory.
England, who set New Zealand a mammoth 553 to win, prevailed though by a margin considerably leaner than expected as Southee and Martin added an audacious 84 for the final wicket.
Southee, who marked his debut with a five-wicket haul in England's first innings, also blitzed the sixth fastest fifty in test history off 29 balls. It was New Zealand's quickest - eclipsing Ian Smith's 34-ball effort against Pakistan in 1990.
Monty Panesar ended with career best figures of six for 126 though he was mauled after lunch as Southee, 19, cleared the ropes five times.
His final three-over spell cost 41 and included a maiden, as Southee went berserk and the field scattered.
Sidebottom, the leading wicket-taker in the series with 24, returned to a semblance of normality when Martin's stumps were splayed.
Earlier Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum launched an offensive from the outset and doubled their 50-run stand for the sixth-wicket to triple figures in just eight overs.
Taylor rocketed from 34 to 50 with his 10th boundary, while McCullum was just as belligerent until Panesar was brought into the attack.
Requiring another 331 on the final day - or survival for a minimum of 90 overs - Taylor and McCullum opted for all out aggression against Sidebottom and Stuart Broad.
Sidebottom was collared for the first in the test, with his first three overs costing 31.
Taylor was the beneficiary, carving seven boundaries from the tiring man of the series, but Panesar's introduction in the fifth over enabled England to edge closer to their first series win overseas since 2004-05 in South Africa.
McCullum and Taylor added 100 in 126 balls but it was over four runs later when the left-arm offspinner struck in his second over.
Taylor, on 74, made a rare defensive prod which caught the edge and flew low down to Paul Collingwood at first slip.
Taylor added a rapid fire 40 to his overnight score and posted his third half century of the series before departing with the score on 276.
Panesar dislodged McCullum for 42 in his next over when the wicketkeeper played back and was beaten in flight and pace as the delivery crashed into middle stump.
He cracked seven boundaries during his fleeting 55-ball stay before completing Panesar's seventh five-wicket bag in test cricket.
McCullum's retreat left captain Daniel Vettori as the last recognised batsman.
He added 48 for the eighth wicket with Jeetan Patel before Patel was caught by Broad at backward square off Panesar for 18.
Vettori followed for a forlorn 43 when the score was 347, caught behind by Tim Ambrose to give James Anderson his first wicket.
Sidebottom, who took seven for 47 in the first innings, did not fare so well second time round with figures of one for 83 off 19.5 overs.
Panesar surpassed his previous best of six for 129, against the West Indies at Lord's last May, though only just.
England bounced back emphatically after losing the opening test in Hamilton on March 10 by 189 runs.
The squared the series in Wellington last week with a 126-run triumph and took control of the final test on Sunday when routing New Zealand for 168 in their first innings.
Andrew Strauss, 177, and Ian Bell, 110, enabled England to compile 467 for seven in their second innings.
SCOREBOARD
England
First innings 253
New Zealand
First innings 168
England
Second innings 467-7 dec
New Zealand (222-5 overnight)
J How lbw b Panesar 11
M Bell c Broad b Panesar 69
S Fleming c Ambrose b Panesar 66
M Sinclair c Ambrose b Broad 6
R Taylor c Collingwood b Panesar 74
G Elliott c Bell b Broad 4
B McCullum b Panesar 42
D Vettori c Ambrose b Anderson 43
J Patel c Broad b Panesar 18
T Southee not out 77
C Martin b Sidebottom 5
Extras (6b, 5lb, 4w, 1nb) 16
Total (118.5 overs) 431
Fall: 48 (How), 147 (Bell), 156 (Fleming), 160 (Sinclair), 172 (Elliott), 276 (Taylor), 281 (McCullum), 329 (Patel), 347 (Vettori), 431 (Martin)
Bowling: R Sidebottom 19.5-3-83-1 (1w), J Anderson 17-2-99-1, S Broad 32-10-78-2 (3w, 1nb), M Panesar 46-17-126-6, P Collingwood 2-0-20-0, K Pietersen 2-0-14-0.
Result: England win by 121 runs, win series 2-1
Man of the match: Ryan Sidebottom (England)
- NZPA
