James Anderson praised the efforts of fellow seamer Ryan Sidebottom after he was named man of the match in England's innings victory over New Zealand on Sunday.

The Lancashire man was rewarded for his match figures of 9-98 at Trent Bridge, but he said he was due a performance worthy of his new-ball partner.

"Ryan has had a great 18 months and it was about time someone helped him out, luckily enough it was me," he said.

"The ball swung right away, it was great conditions for all three of us."

Anderson ended the three-match Test series as the leading wicket-taker with 19 dismissals, including brilliant figures of 7-43 in New Zealand's first innings in Nottingham.

The 25-year-old produced two unplayable deliveries at pace to bowl opener Aaron Redmond and big-hitting Brendon McCullum, sending both batsmen's off stump cartwheeling out of the ground.

He has formed an effective trio with Sidebottom and Stuart Broad, but Anderson remained modest when asked about his superb bowling performance on Friday.

"I just managed to get the ball in the right areas and they missed it, which was nice," he said.

He burst on to the international scene during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, but has since endured an inconsistent five years, suffering from lack of confidence and form.

Although the fast bowler admitted it was "fair" he had been mercurial in the past, Anderson said he is looking to rectify that long-term.

"It's something I'm looking to improve and hopefully I'm going in the right direction," he added.