England's Ryan Sidebottom (left) celebrates his hat-trick of wickets against New Zealand as teammate Ian Bell runs to congratulate him on the fourth day of the first Test at Seddon Park in Hamilton, yesterday. - AP

HAMILTON, New Zealand (AP):

RYAN SIDEBOTTOM captured a hat-trick in a five-wicket haul to break New Zealand's grip on the first Test yesterday and to bowl England within reach of an unlikely victory.

The long-haired Sidebottom dismissed Stephen Fleming, Brendon McCullum and Jacob Oram with successive balls to become the 34th bowler and 11th Englishman to complete a hat-trick in Tests.

New Zealand, in an apparently impregnable position after leading by 122 runs on the first innings on the fourth day, slumped from 109 for two to 115 for six in three overs as Sidebottom and Monty Panesar stripped the Kiwi middle order.

Superb catching

"I suppose I'll remember it for as long as I'm alive," Sidebottom said. "I've never had a hat-trick before so to get one in a Test match is even more special," he said.

Sidebottom was helped by superb catching, particularly by Alastair Cook who claimed two of his hat-trick victims and has five catches in the match to date.

He was helped also by inept batting by the New Zealanders who threw away seven wickets between tea and stumps to meekly surrender the advantage they held in the match from the first day on Wednesday.

New Zealand dismissed England for 348 in reply to their own first innings of 470 to establish a useful first innings lead and, with fewer than five sessions of the match remaining, seemed inoculated against defeat.

The Kiwis lost opener Matthew Bell to the third ball of the second innings, but recovered to 55 for one by tea and entered the last session determined to hit themselves into a position to declare and bowl out England for a 1-0 series lead.

Threw away wicket

At the expense of a more cautious approach, batsman after batsman threw away his wicket until New Zealand found themselves at 147 for eight at stumps, only 269 ahead with all of their specialist batsmen dismissed.

Sidebottom cut a broad swathe through the New Zealand top order and justified the cult following which has seen English supporters in long, curly wigs - imitating the Yorkshire left-armer - on the bank at Seddon Park on each day of the match.

He became the first Englishman and only the second player in 78 years to capture a Test hat-trick in New Zealand, since Maurice Allom achieved the feat in New Zealand's first Test match in 1930.

Sidebottom heralded the drama to come when he had Bell caught by wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose in the first over of New Zealand's second innings.

He then removed Jamie How for 39 to a superb outfield catch by his new-ball partner Matthew Hog-gard, who leapt up to claim the ball above his head at deep midwicket.

Sidebottom then removed Fleming with the last ball of the 30th over and Sinclair and Oram with the first two balls of the 32nd.

Fleming made a fluent 66 and seemed to have strengthened New Zealand's position, guiding them to 109 for three, when he lost his balance and his grip and sliced a catch to Cook at gully.

Sinclair, hopelessly out of form and batting forlornly to hold his place in the New Zealand team, thrashed at a ball wide of off stump and Cook claimed his second gully catch, diving full length to his left.

Sinclair's innings of two, following his eight in the first innings, has likely ensured his checkered Test career is over.

Fading reputation

Oram's fading reputation as a Test-class all-rounder suffered further when he failed to move his feet and was trapped lbw by Sidebottom first ball, leaving New Zealand 115-6 after 31.2 overs.

"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," Sidebottom said. "It hasn't really sunk in yet and it's not just about me because we want to win test matches and it's a big day for us tomorrow."

Sidebottom was mobbed by his teammates who celebrated the first hat-trick by an England bowler since Hoggard achieved the feat against the West Indies four years ago.

He ended the day with 5-37 from 14 overs and with match figures of 9-127 on a dry and unresponsive pitch.

Panesar gave Sidebottom yeoman support yesterday, dismissing Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills and had 3-33 from 12 overs at stumps.

Earlier, innings of 66 by Paul Collingwood and 55 by Ambrose helped England to 348.