England level series

The Nottinghamshire seamer grabbed two wickets on the final morning at Wellington to finish with five for 105 as New Zealand were dismissed for 311 despite a battling 85 from wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.

It was only England's second win in 17 overseas Tests and their first Test triumph of any kind for eight matches. The teams will now head to Napier for a series decider starting on Friday.

Resuming on 242 for six needing a further 196 runs to claim victory, the Kiwis were under pressure from the start with Sidebottom claiming the key wicket of captain Daniel Vettori with the 12th ball of the day.

Vettori, who has already claimed two half-centuries in the series, was capable of forging a major partnership with hard-hitting McCullum, but failed to make a run before edging Sidebottom low to Alastair Cook at third slip.

But far from open up an end for England, Kyle Mills arrived at the crease with attacking intentions and got off the mark with a superbly-timed cover drive for four off Sidebottom.

McCullum completed his half-century with a chop into the ground off Stuart Broad which flew over the slip cordon to the third man boundary.

He lost Mills just three overs later, however, when Sidebottom found the right line and length and swung the ball into his pads to win an lbw verdict from umpire Rudi Koertzen.

New batsman Mark Gillespie lasted 11 overs with McCullum before James Anderson struck, Gillespie edging a short ball behind to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Faced with Chris Martin as his partner, McCullum had no option but to hit out and fell in the next over when he drove left-arm spinner Monty Panesar to long on where, fittingly, Sidebottom claimed the catch to complete the emphatic victory.