Seven-up Broad leads England Test rout of N.Z.

England’s Stuart Broad celebrates taking five wickets on the fourth day of the first Test cricket against New Zealand at Lord’s in London on May 19, 2013. England beat New Zealand by 170 runs on the fourth day to win the first Test.

London -

Stuart Broad bowled England to victory in the first Test as New Zealand suffered a dramatic fourth-day collapse at Lord’s on Sunday.

New Zealand, chasing 239 for victory, were dismissed for just 68 in under two hours, with Broad taking seven wickets for 44 runs in a mere 11 overs.

South Africa born duo BJ Watling (13) and Neil Wagner (17), who got to 10 with a six off Broad, were the only New Zealand batsmen to reach double figures in an innings that lasted less than 23 overs.

Man-of-the-match Broad praised the contribution of new-ball partner James Anderson, who took five first innings wickets on his way to becoming only the fourth England bowler to reach the landmark of 300 Test wickets.

“I’ve come away with seven wickets but Jimmy Anderson was the leader of this attack, he got five wickets in the first innings and I think he should be coming up to get this man-of-the-match award,” said Broad after seeing Anderson take two for 23 second time around.

“It’s a great way to start the summer…It was an exciting game to play in and it was great to contribute to a Test win,” the fast-medium bowler added after surpassing his previous Test-best of seven for 72 against the West Indies at Lord’s last year.

England captain Alastair Cook, trying to explain the dramatic finale, told BBC Radio’s Test Match Special: “Cricket’s a strange game and sometimes results like that happen. I think the extra heat today helped the ball swing, it was a good wicket but it kept doing enough.”

For New Zealand, defeat was all the more painful as until their second innings they had very much been in the game.

“It’s a tough one to explain, I thought we had parity or dominated for long periods but we took a step backwards today,” said captain Brendon McCullum, whose side were dismissed for 45 by South Africa at Cape Town in January,

“The margin flatters England, but they bowled superbly in that hour before lunch which ripped the heart out of us.”

What had been a see-saw contest was all but over in an hour before lunch that saw New Zealand reduced to 29 for six — with Broad having then taken five for 22 in 32 balls after hitting a quickfire 26 not out earlier Sunday.

At that stage the only consolation for New Zealand was that they had surpassed the all-time lowest Test innings total of 26 they made against England at Auckland in 1954/55.

Broad struck with his third ball Sunday to have Peter Fulton caught behind and then produced a superb delivery that jagged back from leg to knock to over Hamish Rutherford’s off-stump.

Ross Taylor, New Zealand’s first innings top-scorer with 66, then fell for nought when he edged Broad low to Cook at first slip.

New Zealand — chasing what would be the highest single innings total of the match if they achieved it — were now 16 for three.

Broad took his fifth wicket when, on the stroke of lunch, he had McCullum lbw for eight, a decision upheld despite the batsman’s desperate review.

In the second session, Tim Southee, who’d earlier taken six for 50 in England’s second innings, summed up New Zealand’s plight with the bat when caught in the deep by Joe Root off Broad, one ball after being dropped in the slips.

Watling was then caught in the slips off Anderson before Broad clean bowled Bruce Martin for his seventh wicket to leave New Zealand on the brink of defeat at 67 for nine.

The match ended in farcical fashion when Wagner was dropped at long leg, only to then be run out.

Earlier, the overcast conditions had been exploited by Southee as England, 180 for six overnight, were bowled out inside 10 overs Sunday.

The 24-year-old seamer finished with match figures of 10 for 108 and deserved a better reward than a defeat with more than a day to spare that left New Zealand 1-0 down in this two-match series ahead of the second Test at Headingley starting Friday.