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Sidebottom Hat-Trick Steals The Show

Sidebottom - man of the moment.

Ryan Sidebottom provided the most conclusive proof yet of his international class with the first hat-trick of his career providing the platform for England's surprise fightback in the opening Test.

The 30-year-old Nottinghamshire left-arm seamer had to wait patiently to prove his worth at this level during the nine long years while Duncan Fletcher was England coach, during which time he was restricted to one disappointing Test seven years ago.

Even since establishing himself under the new regime of Peter Moores over the last year, he has had to constantly answer questions about whether he can play in the same team as Matthew Hoggard, another line and length swing bowler.

But in front of his Dad Arnie, the former Yorkshire and England seamer, and Mum Gillian, Sidebottom became only the 11th England player in history to claim a Test hat-trick and only the fourth in the last 50 years.

His efforts to remove Stephen Fleming, Mathew Sinclair and Jacob Oram with successive deliveries left New Zealand, who have dominated the Test for almost all the four days, with a 269-run lead on 147 for eight with all results still possible.

He follows fellow Yorkshiremen Matthew Hoggard and Darren Gough, the last two England players to achieve the feat, into England's hat-trick hall of fame and any debate about Sidebottom's class at the highest level must surely now be over.

It also took his tally of wickets since his return to England's side to 38 wickets in 10 Tests - an impressive return which is no surprise to Fleming, his former Nottinghamshire captain and first victim of today's hat-trick.

"He's deserving of that," admitted Fleming. "He's a great guy, he's worked incredibly hard and I've known for some time the qualities he possesses.

"He's shown that consistently at international level for some time. Our dressing room is not surprised and it is spectacular to see a hat-trick with a bit of reverse swing."

Until Sidebottom's intervention the match seemed to be meandering towards a draw with neither side capable of forcing the momentum and seizing the opportunity to claim a stranglehold on the Test.

England, resuming 184 runs adrift on 286 for six, maintained a policy of defensive batting which resulted in only 61 runs being scored in 33 overs before lunch as they slowly chipped away at New Zealand's lead.

That policy appeared to have backfired despite determined innings of 66 from Paul Collingwood and a superb 55 in his maiden Test from Tim Ambrose when England lost their last three wickets in six overs after lunch to concede a 122-run first innings deficit.

Sidebottom gave the tourists a flying start by inducing opener Matthew Bell into edging behind off the third ball of their reply, but New Zealand appeared to be heading untroubled towards their declaration target when Fleming and Jamie How combined in a 99-run stand.

New Zealand's momentum was stolen when How was brilliantly caught by Hoggard at deep mid-wicket just as he looked to have hit Sidebottom for six to begin their collapse.

Fleming fell to the final ball of Sidebottom's next over, brilliantly caught by the diving Alastair Cook at backward point, and Brendon McCullum perished in the next over after being promoted for quick runs when he attempted to slog-sweep Monty Panesar and was caught in the deep by Andrew Strauss.

The real drama was in Sidebottom's next over, however, when Sinclair edged his first ball to gully and Cook took his second stunning catch, this time diving to his left, in a matter of minutes and the hat-trick was completed by Oram being given lbw to a full-length delivery.

"Once I'd appealed I didn't think he was going to put his finger up and I didn't know what to do when he did - I just ran away like a headless chicken," admitted Sidebottom.

"My Mum and Dad were here today so it was good to get a few wickets. My Dad has watched me a few times in county cricket but it's the first time he's ever been to watch me in Test matches and it's nice to get a few wickets with the old man watching."

Panesar capped the tourists' revival by removing Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills before the close to finish with three for 33, but the day belonged to Sidebottom as England's latest hat-trick hero.