Cricket: England claim NPower Test series win

England completed an emphatic nine wickets victory over New Zealand before lunch at Headingley on Monday to continue their winning sequence and wrap up the npower series with a Test to spare.

Having dismissed the tourists for a lowly 161 this morning, wrapping up the innings in only 49 balls, England needed only eight overs to clinch the triumph and reach their victory target of 45 for one.

Resuming the day 15 runs adrift on 102 for five with Michael Papps suffering with a broken knuckle and Daniel Vettori ruled out of batting because of a torn hamstring, New Zealand's best hopes of putting pressure on England was to frustrate their attack at the start of the day.

But instead they lasted just 11 legitimate deliveries before losing Scott Styris and apart from a hard-hitting unbeaten 36 off only 31 balls, which included two sixes and three fours, offered little resistance to the aggressive bowling of Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison this morning.

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