England win 2nd Test, level series 1-1
England leveled the three-Test series 1-1 when they defeated New Zealand by 126 runs on the fifth and final day of the second Test at Wellington. Set a near impossible task of scoring 438 runs in the fourth innings for victory, the Kiwis fought hard but were all out for 311 in their second innings. For England, Ryan Sidebottom was the most successful bowler claiming 5 for 105 while Brendon McCullum scored a belligerent 85 for the home team.
In the New Zealand second innings, many of their batsmen got a decent start but none succeeded in converting them into bigger scores. While Ross Taylor scored his second half century of the match with 55, Mathew Sinclair and Stephen Fleming were dismissed after scoring 39 and 31 respectively. James Anderson and young Stuart Broad gave admirable support to Sidebottom claiming two wickets apiece.
The match virtually went out of the Kiwis’ hands when England managed to score 293 in their second innings thanks to useful contributions by most of their top order batsmen. Opener Alastair Cook top-scored with 60, while Paul Collingwood (59) scored his third half century in four innings. Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell were dismissed in their forties. Jacob Oram claimed three wickets, while Kyle Mills, Chris Martin and Mark Gillespie took two each.
Earlier, Anderson justified his inclusion in the team by destroying the Kiwi batting line-up in their first innings taking five wickets. In reply to England’s first innings score of 342, the New Zealanders were all out for a paltry 198. Only Taylor (53) and Vettori (50 not out) made some useful contributions.
England’s owed its first innings score of 342 mainly to Tim Ambrose, who scored his maiden Test century. His 102 followed a well-made half century in the first Test at Hamilton. The 164-run sixth wicket partnership between Ambrose and Collingwood (65) proved to be a match-winning effort in the final analysis. For New Zealand, Mark Gillespie took 4 for 79. Ambrose was named the Man of the Match.
The all-important third and final Test begins at Napier on March 22.
