ENGLAND defied the Headingley drizzle on day five to add the finishing touches to a 2-0 series whitewash over New Zealand with a 247-run victory.

New Zealand started a rainaffected final day on 158 for six, leaving England four wickets short of outright success, and eventually subsided for 220 in a belated afternoon session.

James Anderson took the final wicket with his third ball of the day – a 307th Test scalp that takes him level with Fred Trueman and joint third on England’s all-time list.

Graeme Swann was also crucial, taking two wickets to finish with six for 90 in the innings and career-best match figures of ten for 132.

All the talk overnight surrounded the possibility of a rain-affected draw – with knives being sharpened for Alastair Cook’s conservative captaincy.

But England’s decision to place their faith in the British weather paid off despite losing much of the scheduled play.

Swann had never taken a Test wicket at Headingley before and even found himself left out when South Africa visited last summer.

But he proved definitively that his recent elbow injury has been a success.

The seam attack of Stuart Broad, Steven Finn and Anderson also chipped in with a wicket each to end a match that, for all the talk of negative decision-making, has also seen Joe Root score his maiden Test century and Cook register his 25th.

After a 45-minute rain delay at the start of the day, Swann mustered a stifled appeal for lbw against Brendon McCullum in his second over, but it was Broad who got the ball rolling for England.

He had already taken Mc- Cullum’s off stump out of the ground, but only after the distracted batsman had pulled away to render the ball dead.

McCullum was on his way seconds later though, getting the toe of the bat to a low full toss and seeing Broad get down quickly to gather a fine return catch.

That left Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell at the crease and they quickly went on the attack.

Southee lifted Broad back over his head for four and then greeted Steven Finn’s arrival by pulling his first delivery for six.

He had 24 when Jonathan Trott put down a tough onehanded chance off Swann at slip and cashed in by slogsweeping Swann for his second maximum.

Bracewell was quick to join in, driving Finn through the covers and then adding a six of his own with a powerful pull.

Southee’s fun ended when he nicked Swann low to Trott’s left and this time he clung on to a smart catch, ending a frenzied 56-run stand.

Bracewell was 19 not out with Neil Wagner yet to score when rain forced an early lunch and the start of the afternoon session was delayed by an hour and 50 minutes.

By now, the cautious fields that had been criticised by the likes of Michael Vaughan were long gone, with close catchers aplenty for Swann and six slips in place for Finn.

England thought they had a breakthrough almost immediately, but DRS proved Bracewell had not touched a Swann delivery with his bat.

With drizzle in the air there was no time to waste and Swann had his man four balls later.

Ian Bell must take his share of the praise for the wicket, taking a wonderful low catch at silly point with minimal reaction time.

By now New Zealand’s last pair were refusing all runs, content to remain at their chosen ends even when the ball beat the infield.

Finn almost finished it when Wagner edged inches short of Cook at first slip and in the end it was left to Anderson to bring about the end.

He needed just two sighters before he took the edge of Trent Boult’s bat, Matt Prior taking the catch.