England scent victory

Monty Panesar celebrates the first of his three wickets on the fourth day © Getty Images

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Watch Stuart Broad in the post-play press conference and the full end of day report on ECBtv

England head into the last day of the decisive final Test in Napier needing just five wickets to wrap up a series triumph over New Zealand.

Set a notional 553 to win after England called a halt to their second innings on 467 for seven, New Zealand lost only one wicket before tea on day four as Matthew Bell and Stephen Fleming led the resistance.

But the resurgent tourists - inspired by Monty Panesar and the outstanding Stuart Broad - struck four times in the evening session to add much-needed impetus to their victory charge.

They were responsible for a collapse that saw New Zealand lose four wickets for the addition of just 25 runs, although an unbroken half-century stand between Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum carried them to 222 for five by the close.

Panesar sent down 31 overs for his 3-49 return, while Broad, who bowled with immense heart once more, left the field with figures of 23-9-40-2.

Bell, horribly out of form in recent weeks, made a battling 69, while Fleming - in his final Test innings - ensured he retires with an average above 40 as he hit a typically fluent 66.

England, whose lead stood at 501 at the start of play, opted to continue batting in a bid to strengthen their already sizeable advantage.

They added 51 runs for the loss of two wickets to their overnight total of 416 for five - piling more misery on a New Zealand side that leaked 325 runs on the third day.

Andrew Strauss, who resumed on 173, managed just four more runs before he advanced down the pitch and sliced Jeetan Patel to Bell, running round at wide mid-off.

Tim Ambrose, who put on 63 with Strauss for the sixth wicket, fell for 31 three deliveries later, providing Daniel Vettori with a simple return catch as he attempted to work the ball to leg.

Stuart Broad removes Grant Elliott during a sensational spell in the evening © Getty Images

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But Broad swung merrily in his unbeaten 31 off 26 balls, twice lofting Patel over extra cover before a six over long-on prompted England captain Michael Vaughan to call his players in.

Bell and Jamie How survived the 19 overs before lunch with few alarms, although it took the former, who was on a pair, 12 balls to get off the mark courtesy of an edge over the slips off James Anderson.

He capitalised on the plentiful gaps in the field - as well as a lack of discipline with the ball - to hit four successive fours off Anderson, and remained resolute despite seeing How succumb in the second over after the interval.

He was adjudged leg before to Panesar, punished for failing to take a bigger stride as he defended a delivery that did little more than go on with the arm from round the wicket.

Fleming, as he has for much of the series, looked in supreme touch almost from the moment he walked to the crease, when he was afforded a guard of honour by the England players in recognition of his 111-Test career.

Panesar was driven through cover and cut behind square, while Anderson was drilled past point, strokes that all bore the Fleming seal of quality.

Bell illustrated his growing confidence by hitting Ryan Sidebottom on the up through extra cover for four to go a 121-ball half-century containing eight further boundaries, the majority of which came through the off side.

Stephen Fleming leaves the field for the final time in his Test career © Getty Images

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Fleming registered a fifty of his own moments later as he punished Panesar for straying on to his pads, having faced 69 deliveries and struck eight fours.

A checked drive for three off Paul Collingwood took him to the magic 54 mark, guaranteeing him an average of 40 when he walks away from Test cricket after this, his 111 appearance.

But England’s hopes received a welcome boost three balls into the final session when Bell, in attempting to pull a Panesar long hop, top-edged to Broad at deep backward square-leg.

Panesar landed the most telling blow of the day by accounting for Fleming. Again he dropped short, but the left-hander - perhaps undone by a lack of bounce as he shaped to cut - could only edge behind, where Ambrose took a smart catch.

Mathew Sinclair managed just six before the unstinting Broad hurried him with one of many short deliveries, which he spooned to Ambrose via a combination of glove and bat handle.

Grant Elliott was also beaten for pace - a miscued pull found only Ian Bell at short leg - as Broad gained further reward for an exceptional 11-over spell after tea that helped reduce New Zealand to 172 for five.

Taylor, obdurately, and McCullum, rather more entertainingly, halted the slide, and Kevin Pietersen could afford to drop McCullum at gully on 14 without affecting England’s dominant position.