England pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom's hat-trick against New Zealand on the fourth day of the first Test on Saturday was no surprise to former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming.
Fleming, Sidebottom's first victim and county captain at Nottinghamshire, said and had seen the amount of work the left-hander had put into his game during his six years in the Test wilderness.
"He is deserving of that," Fleming told reporters. "He has worked incredibly hard and I have known for some time the qualities he possesses.
"He has shown that consistently for some time, so our dressing room is not surprised."
"In a way it's spectacular to see a hat-trick as well. It has breathed some life into the game that was meandering along."
Sidebottom had been on a split hat-trick at the start of New Zealand's second innings after taking the final two wickets of the first on successive balls, though he was unaware of it.
"Oh right, I didn't know that," the 30-year-old said when asked about whether he was knew about his first hat-trick opportunity.
"I was just concentrating on hitting the right areas.
"I've not taken a hat-trick at any level -- been on a hat-trick two or three times in my career but never got one before ... I suppose I'll remember it for as long as I'm alive.
"Getting one in a Test match is even more special (but) it hasn't really sunk in yet."
RARE FEAT
The hat-trick was the first by an England player in a Test since Matthew Hoggard against West Indies in April 2004.
Sidebottom, who was generating reverse swing early in the innings, had Fleming caught behind point by a diving Alastair Cook for 66 on the final ball of his ninth over.
He then had Mathew Sinclair brilliantly caught by a diving Cook for two on the first ball of his next over, before he trapped Jacob Oram in front for a duck to complete the hat-trick.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori ensured he did not take four wickets in four balls.
"I got the ball to reverse and didn't really swing in the first five overs (and) the guys caught really well," said Sidebottom.
It was the first hat-trick by a Test bowler since Irfan Pathan took three wickets on the last three balls of the first over of the match against Pakistan in Karachi in January 2006.
There have been just 37 hat-tricks in the long history of Test cricket. Sidebottom's was the 11th by an England player.
New Zealand slumped from 99 for one to 119 for seven after Sidebottom also had Jamie How caught for 39 and Monty Panesar had Brendon McCullum caught by Andrew Strauss for a duck and got Ross Taylor to spoon a return catch back to him for six.
The hosts finished the day on 147 for eight, an overall lead of 269 with two wickets remaining.
Sidebottom finished the day with figures of five for 37, his best so far in his Test career.
