WELLINGTON, March 17: A ‘gut feeling’ choice made by Michael Vaughan to drop his bowling spearheads Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard paid enormous dividends for the England captain during the second Test win against New Zealand.

Vaughan introduced Stuart Broad, for his second Test, and James Anderson, who was smashed all around the small New Zealand grounds during the one-day series, to join the best bowler of the tour Ryan Sidebottom at the Basin Reserve.

The gamble to drop two men who have taken a combined 460 test wickets was seen as huge by the travelling British media, although they took just one wicket each in the 189-run first Test defeat. However, the decision ultimately paid off.

Anderson, who has been in and out of the Test team due to the vagaries of selection, injury and poor form, exploited the pitch conditions on the second day to rip the top off New Zealand’s batting line-up in their first innings with five wickets.

Broad, whose only other match was against Sri Lanka where his team spent 187 overs in the field toiling away on a dead pitch, took two wickets in one over in New Zealand’s second innings to ensure their top order were unable to continue a promising start.

Sidebottom, who was recalled last year after spending six years in the wilderness, continued his superb return to the international arena with his third five-wicket haul in Tests when he finished with five for 105.—Reuters