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England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test at Leeds, , May 24 2013 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
2nd Test, Leeds, May 24 - 28, 2013, New Zealand tour of England
354 & 287/5d
(T:468) 174 & 220

England won by 247 runs

New
NZ 2nd Innings
Full commentary

But that is that from Headingley, thanks to Gnasher and Monty and Kanishkaa for the last five days. Monty and I will be back on Friday for the first ODI, 10.45am BST start, but I'm sure you'll hear from all of us over the next month for the Champions Trophy. Enjoy...



Five matches on both sides of the world complete and England have finally proved why they are six places higher in the world rankings. They can now turn their attention to the Ashes, which begin at Trent Bridge on July 10. New Zealand's next Test action is set to be in Bangladesh in October and it will be interesting to see how they move on from this tour. But both England and New Zealand turn quickly to one-day cricket with a three-match one-day series, this Friday, Sunday and next Wednesday, before the Champions Trophy which starts next week too.



Time for the Presentation...the umpires get their medals. The Man of the Match goes to Graeme Swann for his 10-wickets in the match, who praises the hardcore day five fans and Joe Root, and his surgeon. The England player of the series, as chosen by New Zealand coach Mike Hesson goes to Root for excellent efforts at Lord's and of course his fabulous century on Saturday, but he gives the most boring interview ever known to man. The New Zealand player of the series has been chosen as Tim Southee by England team director Andy Flower, Southee admitting that England were just too good in the end but hopefully New Zealand's young bowling group can stick around for a while.



New Zealand reluctantly come forward to collect their losers runners-up medals and the gallant captain Brendon McCullum. "I think the gulf between the teams was exposed in this Test match, unfortunately England flexed their muscles," McCullum says. "England are formidable at home but we certainly had the bowling attack to challenge them but all of us struggled with the bat to get the big score we needed. But we've got the makings of a very good team."



England now collect their medals and here's the winning skipper Cook: "We put in a really good performance here and one to 11 everyone put their hand up," he says. "It was great for Rooty to get a hundred, it swung all day on the first day. Swanny to get 10 wickets was a great effort too. It's good momentum for the Ashes and gives us confidence for that series. If you're picking up one percenters we could have batted quicker on Sunday evening but we set out to get a 470 lead and we did that. I was a little nervous this morning but luckily we got the time we needed."



New Zealand sort of ran out of steam here. They struggled at Lord's with the bat but their bowling kept them in the game. But here, England found enough runs to take New Zealand right out of the game, with Joe Root making a fairytale maiden century on his home ground, and the tourists' batting was found wanting again, save Ross Taylor in the second innings, this time more against the spinning, rather than swinging ball.



Plenty of boxes ticked for England in this match ahead of the Ashes - their next Test-match assignment - with Steven Finn showing better form and Graeme Swann getting back to his best after elbow surgery. His 10 for 132 is the best return by a spinner at Headingley since Derek Underwood terrorised Australia on a pitch resembling rolled mud in 1972.



It became a little nervy for England dodging the rain but they've found enough time to take the final four wickets on day five and have won by 247 runs, a very comprehensive way to wrap up a 2-0 series victory. New Zealand were pretty competitive in the first four Tests between these sides but here at Headingley have been blown away with their batting not up to scratch and England finding a way to get on top of New Zealand's tricky bowling attack.



76.3
W
Anderson to Boult, OUT

and that will do it! Edged and taken by Prior, a full ball on the off stump, just left Boult a little as he played forward, he got a thick edge and Prior took the simple chance to his right-hand side, pace does the trick in the end

Trent Boult c †Prior b Anderson 0 (24b 0x4 0x6 24m) SR: 0
76.2
Anderson to Boult, no run

down leg side, ignored

New Zealand weren't going to change ends so Cook has changed the ends for them...

76.1
Anderson to Boult, no run

length ball just outside off, poked at and missed

There is going to be a change and Swann is removed for now with James Anderson replacing him at the Kirkstall Lane End...three slips and a gully and a short leg...

end of over 76Maiden
NZ: 220/9CRR: 2.89 
Neil Wagner0 (37b)
Trent Boult0 (21b)
Steven Finn 19-5-62-1
Graeme Swann 32-12-90-6

Not a great over really...

75.6
Finn to Wagner, no run

full and wide and ignored again

75.5
Finn to Wagner, no run

touch straight but still Wagner able to shoulder arms

Time for a change I reckon...

75.4
Finn to Wagner, no run

too wide and left outside off

75.3
Finn to Wagner, no run

this is much straighter but a little too straight and it's tucked through square leg, runs it past short leg, again they refuse the run

Full and straight I reckon...

75.2
Finn to Wagner, no run

too wide and Wagner easily drops the hands

75.1
Finn to Wagner, no run

length ball just outside off, blocked in the crease and it runs on the bounce to fourth slip

Still Finn...

end of over 75Maiden
NZ: 220/9CRR: 2.93 
Trent Boult0 (21b)
Neil Wagner0 (31b)
Graeme Swann 32-12-90-6
Steven Finn 18-4-62-1
74.6
Swann to Boult, no run

a little too full again and blocked up the wicket

74.5
Swann to Boult, no run

outside off and back of a length, watched all the way onto the bat and pushed on the bounce to slip

74.4
Swann to Boult, no run

better, from wider on the crease, blocked on off stump with a bigger stride in

74.3
Swann to Boult, no run

full length again, easily smothered just outside off, Swann not quite right here

74.2
Swann to Boult, no run

full toss, patted back to the bowler

74.1
Swann to Boult, no run

too short, easily blocked on the off stump

They've managed half an hour, how much longer can NZ hold out...

end of over 74Maiden
NZ: 220/9CRR: 2.97 
Neil Wagner0 (31b)
Trent Boult0 (15b)
Steven Finn 18-4-62-1
Graeme Swann 31-11-90-6
73.6
Finn to Wagner, no run

right up in the blockhole, Wagner gets a bat on it and dabs it into the gully

73.5
Finn to Wagner, no run

bumper and ducked, that's a waste really

73.4
Finn to Wagner, no run

finds the edge this time, Cook at first slip, it goes down! No it doesn't it didn't quite carry but the closest we've come to the final wicket

73.3
Finn to Wagner, no run

around the wicket now but a couple of feet outside off and left alone, just a little easier to leave from around the wicket

73.2
Finn to Wagner, no run

back of a length on off stump, pushed out through point but they refuse the single, Wagner happy to take Finn with Boult playing Swann

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