What The Papers Say About England's Win

Broad - a good pick.

The spirits are up, but most of Fleet Street agree that Napier will decide the overall success of England's winter. There's plenty of praise for the selectors though...

'Gone were the howling winds of the fourth day to be replaced by pristine weather - clear blue skies and a gentle zephyr. With the second new ball only a single over old, these would be good conditions for the bowlers to rediscover the movement that had destroyed New Zealand in the first innings.

'The opening ball of the final day, sent down from the Members' end by Broad, showed all that was needed, darting away sharply and late to pass the groping blade of McCullum. In that single moment England must have known that the game was sewn up. The only issue would be what sort of a cameo they could expect from McCullum, New Zealand's extraordinary batsman. He showed his intent by stepping inside Broad's final ball and clipping it to fine leg for the day's first boundary.' - Mike Selvey, The Guardian.

'It may not be the instinctive reaction of those who reside in the press box, but there comes a time, just occasionally, when hats must be doffed in the general direction of the selectors.

'After the Hamilton debacle it was generally agreed that someone would have to go - and that someone would be Steve Harmison. But the simultaneous dropping of Matthew Hoggard took most by surprise.

'This pair had impressive Test records, very similar ones in fact, though you wouldn't think so given all the vitriol that Harmison attracts compared to the plaudits for the doughty Hoggard. It was a big step to omit both of them.' - Vic Marks, The Guardian.

'The victory was Michael Vaughan's first for seven Tests, the longest fallow period of his captaincy. Yet he has never lost two matches in a row, something upheld here after the loss in Hamilton.

'An away win must be celebrated as they do not happen that often. This was England's first in 10 Tests abroad, the previous one being the famous 'Ring of Fire' victory in Mumbai two years ago, when a Johnny Cash song played at lunch allegedly inspired England to bowl India out cheaply.

'No such spurs were needed here, though England did make sweeping changes to their bowling attack, a move that brought much more than any pep talk. With the second new ball only an over old, and Sunday's strong wind stilled to no more than a zephyr, England's bowlers had perfect conditions for a quick kill.' - Derek Pringle, The Telegraph.

'A great deal will depend on the result in Napier as to how the winter as a whole is perceived. If England win, they will return to a minor fanfare and optimistic talk of a bright future. Should they lose, the predictions will be bleak; the next Ashes, you can be sure, will be as good as lost.

'Even a draw - of which there is a good chance as the Napier pitch is traditionally flat and filled with runs - would not be greeted fondly as England, not without reason, were expected to win this series. So far, all England have won is a one-day series in Sri Lanka and a Twenty20 series in New Zealand.

'But results are one thing, runes another, and reading the runes of this winter is now the priority, because what they may well tell us is that what we are witnessing is a handing over of one generation to the next.

'It is the men with the new faces, untainted by the catastrophe in Australia last winter, who have enhanced their reputations ... Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and Tim Ambrose to name but three. Of the famed Ashes winners of 2005, life has been less rich.' - Simon Wilde, The Times.

'The win fully justified the policy of the selectors, who dropped Matthew Hoggard and Stephen Harmison to give Vaughan's side something of a shake-up. Sidebottom was once again England's bowling star, taking 5 for 105 in New Zealand's second innings, and it was fitting that he took the catch that took his side to victory. Sidebottom did not let go of the ball, proudly raising it aloft as he led his side from the Basin Reserve.

'Sidebottom's wicket tally in the opening two Tests of the series has now risen to 16 and he will receive most of the plaudits. But the introduction and performance of James Anderson and Stuart Broad should not be understimated. The pair added vitality and optimism to England's cricket, commodities that were missing in Hamilton 10 days ago. Instead of making excuses for underperforming senior players England are now talking positively about a bright future.' - Angus Fraser, The Independent

'One of the buzz words (among many) in cricket is momentum. England would now appear to have it and New Zealand don't. England would therefore appear to start favourites in Napier on Saturday with, I guess, an unchanged side. Given that they were unpredictably ruthless in axeing two bowlers after the First Test, is there any chance that Owais Shah could play, do you suppose?' - Stephen Brenkley, The Independent Online.

'There is no reason why he should not be around for some years now. At 30, Sidebottom is the finished product. He knows his game and he is showing that, yes, he can bowl fast. Yes, he can swing the ball and, yes, he can even perhaps reverse swing it if conditions allow. And he can stick around with the bat too despite a first-class average for Notts of around 12.

'Just shows you what some people can do given the chance. The knack, I guess is identifying the right people and backing them even if their performances on the daily grind of the county circuit do not always reflect on their true ability.' - Paul Newman, The Daily Mail.