Cricket: England win by nine wickets to clinch series

11.45pm

Chris Cairns' farewell test at Trent Bridge will be an academic exercise after a battered New Zealand cricket team plunged to their third consecutive test loss in Leeds today.

England won the series 2-0 with a match to spare, taking just eight overs to polish off their target of 45 and win by nine wickets early on the final day of the second test.

Daryl Tuffey took the only wicket to fall, Andrew Strauss for 10, but Marcus Trescothick and Mark Butcher saw England home 35 minutes before lunch.

It was New Zealand's third defeat in a row after the seven-wicket loss at Lord's and the six-wicket loss to South Africa in Wellington in March.

The tourists earlier lasted just 40 more minutes thanks to some hefty swipes from Jacob Oram to post 161 in their second innings, with Daniel Vettori unable to bat because of a hamstring tear.

Oram, playing as a batsman only after suffering a side strain, put up the most fight with 36 not out off 31 balls including three fours and two sixes before running out of partners.

Resuming 15 runs adrift on 102 for five, New Zealand made a flying start with Scott Styris clipping three legside boundaries in the opening over bowled by England dangerman Stephen Harmison.

New Zealand wiped off the deficit in the day's second over but Styris was removed for 19 just three balls later when Matthew Hoggard swung a ball away and wicketkeeper Geraint Jones took a magnificent one-handed diving catch.

Cairns was the big hope as he joined Oram and he sent a buzz around Headingley when he lofted Hoggard 10 rows back over long-on.

But two balls later he was trapped leg before wicket for 10 by a full ball from Hoggard.

Opener Michael Papps bravely came out to bat at No 9, having had his left little finger broken while scoring 86 in the first innings.

He lasted just three deliveries before Harmison got one to rear and he popped a simple catch to short cover.

Oram whacked Hoggard for two sixes with last man Chris Martin at the crease but the innings ended when Martin was run out attempting a cheeky bye.

"We've been soundly beaten again by a better side, so back to the drawing board," Fleming said.

"The series has gone which was disappointing, but we've been well and truly outplayed.

"We needed a lead going into the fourth and fifth days. We didn't get it, due to bowling that lacked penetration, and also some sound batting.

"England took the initiative away by not giving us a lead in that first innings."

Fleming was still hopeful looking ahead to the third test starting on Thursday, after a count of the walking wounded.

"We'll try to find 11 fit players first. We'll search the country.

"We're in a bit of trouble injury-wise so we'll count our stocks this afternoon and see who's around.

"It's still a very important test for us. We love playing over here, the series is gone, but a test win would still be nice."

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand

First innings 409

Second innings (102-5 overnight)

M Richardson c Jones b Hoggard 40

S Fleming c Strauss b Flintoff 11

B McCullum c Trescothick b Harmison 20

N Astle lbw b Hoggard 8

S Styris c Jones b Hoggard 19

D Tuffey c Jones b Harmison 7

J Oram not out 36

C Cairns lbw b Hoggard 10

M Papps c Vaughan b Harmison 0

C Martin run out 0

D Vettori absent injured

Extras (4b, 4lb, 2nb) 10

Total (42 overs) 161

Fall: 39 (Fleming), 75 (Richardson), 77 (McCullum), 84 (Astle), 91 (Tuffey), 118 (Styris), 144 (Cairns), 149 (Papps), 161 (Martin).

Bowling: M Hoggard 15-4-75-4 (2nb), S Harmison 16-5-57-3, A Flintoff 6-0-16-1, M Saggers 5-3-5-0.

England

First innings 526

Second innings

M Trescothick not out 30

A Strauss c Astle b Tuffey 10

M Butcher not out 5

Extras 0

Total (for 1 wkt, 8 overs) 45

Fall: 18 (Strauss).

Bowling: C Martin 4-1-17-0, D Tuffey 4-0-28-1.

Result: England won by nine wickets, lead three-match series 2-0.


- NZPA