Graeme Swann bowled England to a commanding 247-run in the second Test against New Zealand in Leeds on Tuesday with rain unable to save the tourists.
Off-spinner Swann took six for 90, for a Test-best match return of 10 for 132, as New Zealand, chasing an improbable 468 for victory, were dismissed for 220.
This win gave England the two-match series 2-0 after their 170-run win in the first Test at Lord’s.
Swann’s figures topped his previous Test match-best of 10 for 181 against Sri Lanka in Colombo last year.
Rain, as much as New Zealand’s lower-order batting, was the biggest obstacle to England recording a thumping win on the final day at Headingley.
But they grabbed the four wickets they needed in the 86 minutes’ play that took place either side of delays for bad weather.
New Zealand, 158 for six overnight, resumed with captain Brendon McCullum nought not out and paceman Tim Southee four not out.
But McCullum was out for one when he chipped a full toss back to Stuart Broad, the tall fast bowler getting down well to hold the low caught and bowled chance.
That was the cue for an eighth-wicket stand of 56 between Southee and Doug Bracewell.
Southee defiantly hooked fast bowler Steven Finn for six. But on 24 he was dropped by Jonathan Trott at slip off Swann. Next ball Southee hoicked Swann for six.
Bracewell joined in by cover-driving Finn for four and pulling him for six to bring up a fifty partnership with Southee in just 35 balls.
But Swann had his fifth wicket of the innings, and ninth of the match, when Southee, on 38, edged to slip and this time time Trott held the catch.
When rain forced an early lunch, New Zealand were 219 for eight. Play resumed at 1400GMT, albeit under leaden skies and with drizzle falling.
Bracewell was out soon afterwards, well caught at silly point by Ian Bell off Swann to leave New Zealand on the brink of defeat.
“It’s great to win 2-0, they were two good performances… I think we played better in this game than we did at Lord’s”
England’s first innings 354 featured Joe Root’s 104, the Yorkshire batsman scoring his maiden Test century on his home ground.
In reply, New Zealand made 174, with Swann taking four for 42. But although England captain Alastair Cook was in a position to enforce the follow-on Sunday, as New Zealand were not within 150 of the hosts’ total following Friday’s first day washout , he decided to bat again.
“We knew the weather was about so we needed a couple of hours and the groundsman did a fantastic job,” said Cook.
“It’s great to win 2-0, they were two good performances,” added Cook.
“I think we played better in this game than we did at Lord’s.”
Left-handed opener Cook extended his own England Test century record to 25 on Monday with an innings of 130 – seven of those centuries coming in the 11 matches since he became captain – before declaring at 287 for five after lunch on Monday.
SCOREBOARD
SCOREBOARD
England 1st innings 354 in 99 overs
New Zealand 1st innings 174 in 43.4 overs
England 2nd innings 287 for 5 dec in 76 overs
New Zealand 2nd innings (target: 468 runs)
PG Fulton c Bell b Broad 5
HD Rutherford c Root b Swann 42
KS Williamson lbw b Swann 3
LRPL Taylor b Swann 70
DG Brownlie c Bell b Finn 25
MJ Guptill c Trott b Swann 3
BB McCullum c & b Broad 1
TG Southee c Trott b Swann 38
DAJ Bracewell c Bell b Swann 19
N Wagner not out 0
TA Boult c Prior b Anderson 0
Extras (b 2, lb 11, w 1) 14
Total (all out; 76.3 overs; 328 mins) 220
Fall of wickets 1-21 (Fulton, 7.3 ov), 2-40 (Williamson, 14.3 ov), 3-65 (Rutherford, 20.2 ov), 4-144 (Brownlie, 43.5 ov), 5-153 (Guptill, 50.4 ov), 6-154 (Taylor, 52.1 ov), 7-162 (McCullum, 57.5 ov), 8-218 (Southee, 64.4 ov), 9-220 (Bracewell, 68.3 ov), 10-220 (Boult, 76.3 ov)
Bowling: JM Anderson 11.3-4-28-1, SCJ Broad 11-3-26-2, GP Swann 32-12-90-6, ST Finn 19-5-62-1, JE Root 3-2-1-0
Toss England, who chose to bat
Series England won the 2-match series 2-0
Player of the match GP Swann (England)
Players of the series JE Root (England) and TG Southee (New Zealand)
Umpires SJ Davis (Australia) and M Erasmus (South Africa)
TV umpire Aleem Dar (Pakistan)
Match referee DC Boon (Australia)
Reserve umpire DJ Millns
