THIRD TEST, Trent Bridge (day four):
England 364 bt New Zealand 123 & 232 by an innings and nine runs
England completed victory by an innings and nine runs in the final Test to seal a 2-0 series triumph over New Zealand. They needed barely an hour to capture the remaining five Kiwi wickets, with Ryan Sidebottom taking four of them. Needing 64 to make England bat again, they added some quicky early runs through some lusty Jacob Oram strokes. Oram hit two sixes but Sidebottom's swing was too much for the tail and James Anderson took his ninth wicket of the match to secure the win. LATEST ACTION (ALL TIMES BST)  | 606: DEBATE |
e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk (with 'For Ben Dirs' in the subject), text 81111 (with "CRICKET" as the first word) or use 606. (Not all contributions can be used)ENGLAND BEAT NEW ZEALAND BY AN INNINGS AND NINE WICKETS - WIN SERIES 2-0 1203 - WICKET - Martin c Collingwood b Anderson 0
That's an almighty smite from Oram, racking back and crashing Anderson into the crowd at deep mid-wicket. He follows up with another heave for three, and that's his fifty, from just 39 balls. But that leaves Martin on strike... and he prods an outside-edge to a diving Collingwood at second slip, and that's a wrap. England seal a 2-0 series win over the visitors, and that looked pretty unlikely at one stage at Old Trafford. Sidebottom finishes with 6-67 and 17 wickets in the series, while Anderson finishes with 9-98 in the match and 19 wickets in the series. It's going to be very interesting when all England's seamers are fit... thanks for bearing with me today, really didn't feel to good... I'm off to lie on my bed with my hand dramatically shielding my eyes... 1157 - WICKET - O'Brien c Collingwood b Sidebottom 4, NZ 225-9
That's Sidebottom's sixth scalp, O'Brien driving away from his body and Collingwood taking a good catch diving to his left at second slip. Martin is the Black Caps number 11, and he's about as good at batting as I am. But he shows the maker's name to the last ball of Sidebottom's over and Oram will have a chance to give it a bit of rat-a-tat-tat. "Hmmm... I was never one to stand in the playground shouting 'Fight! Fight! Fight!' while fellow pupils knocked lumps off each other, but I've got to take issue with Sam Colllier (see below). By saying that Oldham and Huddersfield are in different counties he's making out that they're nowhere near each other. Infact, they're only 14 miles away from each other so if you say Siders and little Mark Owen sound alike, I'll take your word for it!"
Dave Weston in the TMS inbox 1153 - WICKET - Mills c Strauss b Sidebottom 2, NZ 221-8
Sidebottom takes his thrid wicket of the day, Mills driving waftily and Strauss bagging a feathered edge low down at first slip. O'Brien is the next batsman, and he's on pair... he survives his first ball and carves Sidebottom through backward-point for four second ball. O'Brien has a Test average of 4 and a highest score of 14... 1152 - 221-7
Anderson into the attack and we have a bit of Keystone Cops running, Mills digging out an inswinger and just making his ground. That's an attractive stroke from Oram, punching Anderson through the covers for two. 1146 - 216-7
Sidebottom is a strange old fish at times. About as aggro as Dr Rowan Williams off the pitch, a well-played forward defensive has the capacity to turn him into Charles Bronson on it. He gets right up Mills's nose after finding the middle of his bat before throwing daggers Oram's way on just missing his off-peg. 1142 - 215-7
Oram is going to have some fun here and he clatters Broad through the covers twice in successive balls. Good comeback from Broad, digging one in and causing Oram to sway out of line, but Oram picks up two more with a drag through mid-wicket. 1136 - WICKET - Vettori c Pietersen b Sidebottom 1, NZ 205-7
Sidebottom strikes again, and that's fine captaincy from Vaughan. He moves KP to backward-point and the big man pouches a regulation catch from a thick outside edge from Vettori. Struggling with the bat in this series Vettori and you get the impression it's all getting too much for the Black Caps skipper. Mills is the new batter and he can give it some clatter. But that's not too clever, driving waftily at Sidebottom and missing. 1132 - 205-6
Oram is clearly opting for the Botham route out of trouble and he slams a short ball from Broad over the fence at square-leg. That's the Kiwi ton. Oram mistimes a hook for a single before Vettori gets off the mark with a prod into the covers. Wide one from Broad and Oram has a wild and windy woosh at it and misses. Twenty nine runs added this morning in half an hour, which is pretty good going. "I saw Ryan Sidebottom in Huddersfield a few months ago, looking like he was considering purchasing an oboe. On the other hand, he may just have been lost."
Jon, York, in the TMS inbox 1125 - WICKET - Hopkins c Ambrose b Sidebottom 12, NZ 197-6
Sidebottom struggling to apply any control at the moment as the sun beats down in Nottingham. But he rams my words down my throat, tempting Hopkins forward before getting one to find the edge of his bat next ball. Easy catch for Ambrose, straightforward decision for Umpire Hair. Vettori the next batsman. 1119 - 197-5
Bit of tennis ball bounce from Broad and Oram again flinches slightly before patting the ball down to point for no run. Still not totally comfortable against the short stuff Oram, but that's a doozy of a shot, rocking back and whip-cracking Broad through the covers for four. Too short again from Broad and Oram rolls his wrists on it and helps the ball to the fine-leg boundary. Decent comeback from Broad, digging one in, and Oram pulls out of the hook shot. Ferg from York reckons Broad is badly in need of a haircut. He might be right, he looks like an upper sixth prefect circa 1993. 1115 - 187-5
Sidebottom over-pitches and is creamed through the covers for four by Hopkins. Compact little player Hopkins, and he's now on 12.
"Hopkins is not so flirtatious as some of his batting colleagues, happy to leave anything outside off-stump."
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS1112 - 183-5
Just the one single from Oram and Broad is ploughing a nagging line. Bit of swing with the old ball and he really is a no-nonsense customer, Broad, but a rhythmic one too. Hopkins tucks him round the corner for a single before Anderson saves well in the covers from Oram. "With revision to do for an exam tomorrow at 9am, I'm torn between wanting England to win convincingly and wanting them to string it out a bit so that I have an excuse not to revise. And in answer to James from Hitchin, John Le Mesurier was woefully underused in starring roles despite acting in over 100 films."
Ash in Leuven, Belgium, in the TMS inbox 1106 - 181-5
Neat stroke from Oram, flicking Sidebottom to square-leg for a couple. Oram, expecting a short on, twitches slightly but manages to steer Sidebottom into the covers for one. Sam Collier has just pointed out that while Sidebottom is from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Mark Owen out of Take That is from Oldham, Lancashire, so, in fact, they sound nothing like each other. "Just broke the mid-morning snack barrier; Beef crisps for savoury, Galaxy chocolate bar for dessert. All washed down with some Diet (irony) Coke. Might go mental and have Skittles at 12."
Alastair, in work and full of sugar, in the TMS inbox 1103 - 178-5
Broad with the first over of the day and his first ball is Harmison-esque, a wide which starts outside off-stump and swings even wider. Hopkins misses out on a wide half-bunger, punching the ball straight to Bell in the covers. More tempters from Broad, but Hopkins just watches each delivery swing harmlessly out of reach. "Sat in the office with a large coffee and expectant finger poised over the F5 button. If we take quick wickets I may just let my underlings run the lunch service this week."
Jonno Blagbrough in the TMS inbox 1056: Gareth Hopkins has a highest first-class score of 175, so he's certainly no slouch with the willow, and Jacob Oram has five Test tons to his name, so the Kiwis can't be written off yet. Bit of Jerusalem on the Trent Bridge PA and here come England, emerging from the pavillion onto the verdant Trent Bridge pitch. What a pearler of a day it is, summer has sprung... "Sweets! Never too early, I've been at work since 4am and already have scoffed some flying saucers, some Revels and a Wham Bar! I love Sunday."
Nick in the TMS inbox
"New Zealand have got to set England a target of around 160 to have the remotest chance, and that means the last five wickets adding another 230 runs..."
Bryan Waddle on TMS "Painful arm hair is a definite symptom of man flu. I daren't tell my wife the hairs on my arms hurt in case she, as the only one of us who has borne several children (one of which was BIG), turns on me in a fit of rage. Suffer in silence Ben."
Ian, Sharjah, in the TMS inbox 1049: Siders being interviewed on Sky and he sounds exactly like Mark Owen out of Take That! Fact! Wonder if he still sounds like Mark Owen when he's directing a volley of expletives the way of a Kiwi batsman. Just been offered a wine gum - surely 1045 is too early for sweets? "I loved John Le Mesurier in Dad's Army, much preferred him to Mainwaring. Though I don't know him from much else. Somehow I feel that I've missed out, are there any other gems of his that I can find?"
James, Hitchin, in the TMS inbox 1040: Not sure England fans can be 100% confident of winning this game today. It looks like a crackerjack day up in Nottingham and they've got the handy Oram at the crease and captain reliable Daniel Vettori to come - both men are capable of sticking around for a fair while. 1035: Yo yo yo yo! Good morning everybody. The good news is England should have this wrapped up by the end of today - just five second innings wickets needed. The bad news is I feel ruddy awful. Is there something going around? My hair hurts, on my head and on my arms... no idea what that might be... office chat this morning centres around Dad's Army stalwart John Le Mesurier. A magnificent comic actor and - not many people know this - narrator of Bod.
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