Former England captain Michael Vaughan has paid tribute to his country's fighting spirit as they claimed a dramatic draw in a tense finale against New Zealand.

Having drawn the opening two matches, the series result hinged on the last ball of the third and final Test in Auckland, but Matt Prior and Monty Panesar held on to secure a draw for the tourists.

Despite not being at their best for most of the series, Vaughan believes that England deserve credit for the way they dealt with the pressure.

"What an incredible day of Test cricket," Vaughan told BBC Sport.

"New Zealand have been the better side, we have got to admit that. But this England side needs to be pushed into a corner then they react and fight. Somehow they have got to create that feeling on every single day.

"I didn't think I'd see England, ranked second in the world, celebrating a draw against the eighth-ranked team, but they should celebrate because a fightback like that is something you don't see often."

Current skipper Alastair Cook admitted that he was relieved to salvage a draw.