New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has admitted that the news that England's Kevin Pietersen is out of the final Test match is a boost to his side.

McCullum said that England will still have a very strong team and that his side will have to play at their best for the full five days to get any kind of result.

"Pietersen is one of those who can take the game away from you pretty quickly - so even though he wasn't at his best in this series, he was still able to make an impact in the last Test," McCullum told reporters.

"From their point of view, they still have some good options - but they certainly aren't Kevin Pietersen.

"The confidence within the group is building nicely, but there's also a realism that we will have to perform outstandingly well for five days."

The series is currently tied at 0-0, with the final Test getting underway at 9pm GMT.