England captain Alastair Cook has admitted that sheer relief is his main feeling following a tense finale to the third Test against New Zealand today.
New Zealand piled on the pressure and took the match down to the final ball in Auckland, but Matt Prior and Monty Panesar held firm to claim a hard-fought draw.
Cook believes that England have failed to meet their own high standards in New Zealand but is delighted with the character shown by Prior, Panesar and Stuart Broad to avoid defeat.
He told Sky Sports News: "There is a huge amount of relief there. We have been outplayed in this match but showed that never-say-die fight to come through.
"This has been a really compelling Test series, but at no stage did we underestimate them. I'm proud to say we stood up to a huge amount of pressure to hang on. We lost wickets at crucial times but that partnership between Prior and Broad just about got us there.
"We didn't play as well as we could have done if we're being honest. It's good that we can dig ourselves out of trouble but its still a cause for concern. But what I can say is there's a huge amount of fight there and a determination not to be beaten."
England and the Black Caps will become familiar foes this year as both sides now prepare for a two-Test series on home soil, beginning at Lords on Thursday, May 16.
Liam Power
