Stuart Broad's con-scientious sister Gemma has helped the England fast bowler rediscover his wicket-taking knack.

Broad has a spring in his step again after his figures of six for 51 saw England enforce the follow-on against New Zealand on day three of the second Test at the Basin Reserve.

His return to form gave the tourists hope they may yet beat the elements – Cyclone Sandra is due in Wellington late today – and go 1-0 up with one match to play this week.

Broad is delighted, after his winter of injury and discontent, to be back among the wickets – and he has his sister at least partly to thank, in her professional role as England's video analyst.

And another reason for his resurgence is an improvement in the chronic heel injury which ended his wicketless tour of India before Christmas.

The former England vice-captain bowled 36 overs without success in two Tests, in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, and was then dropped in Kolkata before it was decided he should fly home because of the pain of what was diagnosed as a lacerated fat-pad in his left heel. Yet here he was the outstanding performer as England bowled their hosts out for 254 – despite half-centuries from Brendon McCullum (69) and BJ Watling (60).

Then even as the Kiwis fared much better second time round, on the way to 77 for one, Broad conceded only 14 runs in seven overs.

Trying to pinpoint the reasons for the loss and recovery of his form, he said: "I only really struggled in India. Up until then, taking 40-odd wickets in the year was pretty good. I hurt myself in the warm-up game and probably should have gone home then."

Broad was back bowling well throughout the limited-overs legs of this New Zealand tour, without major reward.

"I've probably been due some wickets, and it's good to have been able to do it," he said. "Today, it was just my day to get the nicks."

Broad was also quick to give due credit to eagle-eyed sibling Gemma's dedication to sifting through video footage that provided her brother with all the evidence he needed to identify and eradicate a technical glitch he believes was responsible for a loss of pace and accuracy.

"It was just looking at footage coming into this Test series," he said. "I got Gemma to get me all my Test wickets on video from 2010, and there was quite a big difference from where I was bowling a year ago – mid-crease – to throughout last summer, when I was very tight.

"A lot of it is to do with coming that bit wider on the crease. I got into a bad habit of getting too tight to the stumps, which meant my feet were crossed. I ended up having to push the ball straight.

"Now from a bit wider, I can really attack the stumps, and I don't think I'm as easy to leave."

Broad senses the omens are good for him as he approaches the mid-career years traditionally associated with a fast bowler's pomp.

He has excelled at the same venue where, five years ago, his pace colleague James Anderson vindicated a return to the team with a seven-wicket match haul.

Anderson has rarely looked back since and Broad said: "Jimmy was my age, 26, so I hope this is my time to go like he has."