March 09, 2008	Sunday	Safar 30, 1429

HAMILTON (New Zealand), March 8: England’s Ryan Sidebottom took a hat-trick to spark a spectacular collapse by New Zealand and leave the first Test finely balanced after the fourth day’s play on Saturday.

Sidebottom dismissed Stephen Fleming (66), Mathew Sinclair (two) and Jacob Oram (0) on successive deliveries as England reduced New Zealand from 99-1 to 119-7 in the final session at Seddon Park.

New Zealand finished the day on 147 for eight with two wickets remaining, an overall lead of 269 after England were bowled out for 348 just after lunch.

Paul Collingwood top-scored for England with 66 and debutant wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose made 55.

Sidebottom finished with figures of five for 37 off 14 overs and Monty Panesar three for 33. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was not out on 13 with Jeetan Patel on six.

Prior to Sidebottom’s display, the hosts had been racing along looking to set a target in excess of 300 by stumps for England to chase on the final day on a pitch that is producing noticeable turn.

After Matthew Bell was dismissed for a duck on the third ball of the innings when he got a faint edge to a Sidebottom delivery and Ambrose took a simple catch, Fleming and How put on a 98-run second-wicket partnership.

The pair made a mockery of England’s protracted batting display (173.1 overs to score 348) to race through to 99 for one before How was brilliantly caught by Matthew Hoggard in the deep off Sidebottom to spark the collapse.

Hoggard had to run at least 20 metres and took the catch high above his head with both feet off the ground to dismiss the opener for 39.

The left-armer then had Fleming caught behind point by a diving Alastair Cook for 66 on the final ball of his ninth over.

He then had Sinclair caught by a diving Cook for two on the first ball of his next over, before he trapped Jacob Oram in front for a duck to complete the hat-trick.

Ross Taylor was then caught and bowled for six by Panesar, who then trapped Kyle Mills in front for 11, before Patel and Vettori guided their side through to the close.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings) 470 (L.R.P.L. Taylor 120, J.M. How 92, D.L. Vettori 88, B.B. McCullum 51; R.J. Sidebottom 4-90).

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 286-6):

A.N. Cook c sub (N. Horsley) b Martin 38

M.P. Vaughan c McCullum b Patel 63

M.J. Hoggard c Fleming b Martin 2

A.J. Strauss b Vettori 43

K.P. Pietersen c and b Vettori 42

I.R. Bell b Mills 25

P.D. Collingwood lbw b Oram 66

T.R. Ambrose c Fleming b Patel 55

R.J. Sidebottom not out 3

S.J. Harmison c Fleming b Patel 0

M.S. Panesar lbw b Mills 0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, NB-6) 11

TOTAL (all out, 173.1 overs) 348

FALL OF WKTS: 1-84, 2-86, 3-130, 4-159, 5-203, 6-245, 7-335, 8-347, 9-347.

BOWLING: Martin 32-15-60-2; Mills 21.1-6-61-2; Patel 43-14-107-3 (1nb); Oram 21-9-27-1; Vettori 56-17-88-2 (5nb).

NEW ZEALAND (2nd Innings):

J.M. How c Hoggard b Sidebottom 39

M.D. Bell c Ambrose b Sidebottom 0

S.P. Fleming c Cook b Sidebottom 66

M.S. Sinclair c Cook b Sidebottom 2

B.B. McCullum c Strauss b Panesar 0

L.R.P.L. Taylor c and b Panesar 6

J.D.P. Oram lbw b Sidebottom 0

D.L. Vettori not out 13

K.D. Mills lbw b Panesar 11

J.S. Patel not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-4) 4

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 48 overs) 147

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-99, 3-109, 4-110, 5-115, 6-115, 7-119, 8-141.

BOWLING (to-date): Sidebottom 14-4-37-5; Hoggard 12-3-29-0; Collingwood 6-1-20-0; Harmison 4-0-24-0; Panesar 12-2-33-3.

—Reuters