Joy of six for Anderson

James Anderson traps Daniel Flynn leg before, the fourth of his six wickets

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James Anderson enjoyed one of his finest days in an England shirt as the hosts seized complete control of the final npower Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

Anderson contributed 28 - his highest Test score - to a tail-end revival that carried England to a challenging 364, before claiming six New Zealand wickets in a devastating display with the ball.

In returning fine figures of 6-42 - the best of his 25-Test career - Anderson was solely responsible for reducing the Kiwis to 96 for six by the time bad light brought play to a premature close shortly before 5.45pm.

Though he boasts a one-day international hat-trick, and has collected many a match award in the limited-overs arena, the 25-year-old must surely rate this among the most impressive of his performances in Test cricket.

A wicket every 15 balls is testament to the problems he posed to a New Zealand top order that - Jamie How apart - looked woefully inadequate against the swinging ball.

Anderson maintained the fullest line of any bowler in the match, and each of his half-dozen wickets came as a result of movement in the air or off the pitch.

His heroics overshadowed the efforts of Stuart Broad, who enhanced his growing reputation as an international all-rounder with a maiden Test half-century.

His composed 64, which spanned the morning session, formed the centrepiece of England’s lower-order resistance as they converted an overnight score of 273 for seven into their highest total of the series.

He and Anderson shared an eighth-wicket stand of 76, lifting England into a position that appeared improbable when they slipped to 86 for five yesterday, and providing them with a momentum that merely grew when Anderson was handed the ball.

Kevin Pietersen and Tim Ambrose were responsible for mounting the opening-day fightback, and Broad and Anderson followed suit this morning in no less impressive fashion.

Broad rode his luck somewhat during the opening exchanges, most notably when a thick edge off Chris Martin was put down by Brendon McCullum at second slip when he had made 21.

Though an appreciable crowd witnessed the odd stroke of authenticity - one square drive from Broad stood out - a sizeable proportion of England’s runs early on came via numerous edges wide of the waiting slip cordon.

There were signs that New Zealand’s patience was wearing thin as Anderson drove Iain O’Brien emphatically through cover for four to bring up the half-century stand, and he demonstrated his growing confidence with a well-executed sweep off Daniel Vettori that took him past his previous highest score of 21 not out.

Broad surpassed the 42 he made against New Zealand in Napier in March when he dispatched O'Brien to the cover boundary, but he was fortunate that Aaron Redmond could not hold on to a one-handed chance diving to his right at gully when, on 46, he flashed at Jacob Oram.

England’s total, by that time, represented their highest of the series, bettering the 319 they made in the first innings of the opening Test at Lord’s.

Brendon McCullum has his off stump uprooted by Anderson as the hosts crumble on the second day

Not only did Broad give another demonstration of his exemplary technique, but he showed commendable patience. He required 26 balls spanning the lunch interval to go from 49 to his half-century, reaching the landmark with a delightful clip off his legs at Vettori’s expense, his eighth four.

His 132-ball innings came to an end when he had his off stump clipped playing back to Martin, operating from around the wicket.

Broad departed to a standing ovation on his home ground, but Vettori wrapped up England’s innings moments later when he had Monty Panesar taken at silly point via bat and pad.

Anderson needed just three balls to make his mark when New Zealand replied, finding late movement away in the air to uproot Redmond’s off stump as he aimed to leg, and McCullum departed in almost identical fashion four overs later to an equally outstanding delivery.

How and Taylor checked England’s momentum with an entertaining third-wicket partnership worth 48, but Anderson removed the latter for 21 shortly after tea courtesy of a sliced drive to Pietersen at gully.

Daniel Flynn, who had a tooth knocked out by an Anderson bouncer at Old Trafford last week, was trapped on the crease playing back, immediately after surviving a loud appeal for lbw, and How’s measured innings of 40 came to an end when he followed one that arced away slightly.

Anderson capped a remarkable day by removing Oram in the penultimate over, this time moving the ball away from the left-hander off the pitch to induce a faint outside edge.