Monty Panesar claimed career-best figures of 6-126 as England wrapped up victory against New Zealand to seal a first away Test series win since 2005.

Resuming on 222-5, Ross Taylor (74) and Brendon McCullum (42) took their stand past 100 with a flurry of boundaries, before Panesar accounted for both.

Daniel Vettori fell to put England on the brink, but Tim Southee's amazing 77 not out off 40 balls held them up.

Ryan Sidebottom finally finished the Kiwis off on 431 to seal a 121-run win.


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It completed a commendable turnaround from Michael Vaughan's men following their first Test capitulation in Hamilton and provided a welcome filip after successive series defeats by India and Sri Lanka.

It was their first win on foriegn soil since their victory over South Africa in 2004-05 and was also the first time they had come from behind to win a three-Test series since Sri Lanka seven years ago.

However, it was not all one-way traffic on day five as New Zealand pair Taylor and McCullum - and later on 19-year-old debutant Southee - took the attack to the bowlers.

Making the most of the bright sunshine, flat pitch and attacking fields set by Vaughan, Taylor showed his potential with a flurry of boundaries through square.

He raced past his 50 off 85 balls and ensured he would finish as the series' top run-scorer with a bludgeon through point that typified his early-morning aggression.

McCullum was equally keen to keep the scoreboard ticking over and he played his part as the pair put on 54 runs off the first nine overs.

Panesar put paid to both in quick succession, though, first getting one to bounce and turn that Taylor could only edge to a diving catch from Paul Collingwood at slip and then sending an arm ball through McCullum's defence to take out the wicket-keeper's middle stump.

Patel should have followed soon after lbw to Panesar, but Daryl Harper ruled it was going down leg and the spinner combined with Vettori to hold up England.

In a timely reminder that the pitch was a beauty for batting, the pair put on 48 despite a fine spell from Stuart Broad, who twice beat Vettori's bat.

Patel eventually fell for 18, paddling Panesar round the corner to Broad, to hand the spinner his 10th wicket of the series - more than either Kiwi spinner, Vettori or Patel.

And when skipper Vettori fell eight minutes before lunch, edging Anderson behind on the hook, it looked like England would wrap things up swiftly.

Southee, though, took the match past lunch with two sixes, and he continued an extraordinary innings after the break, hitting seven sixes and two fours in bringing up a maiden half-century off 29 balls - the fastest ever Test fifty by a New Zealander and the sixth quickest of all time.

He continued to flay the likes of Panesar and Broad to all parts, finishing unbeaten with nine sixes and four fours and a strike-rate of 192.50.

Man of the match Ryan Sidebottom wrapped up the victory by bowling Chris Martin - his 24th wicket of the series - to spark joyous scenes from the tourists and leave Southee stranded.