Left-arm seamer Trent Boult has produced career-best match figures to lead New Zealand to a comprehensive test victory over the West Indies on day three at the Basin Reserve in Wellington today.
Beginning the day on 158-4 in their first innings in reply to New Zealand's first-up effort of 441, the visitors crumbled as Boult ran through them with 6-40 to shoot them out for 193.
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum then enforced the follow-on and Boult delivered another four wickets and a simply stunning catch at point during the West Indies' second innings as they were bowled out for 175.
The final wash-up meant New Zealand claimed the test match by an innings and 73 runs, which marked their first win in whites under McCullum's stewardship.
It will have eased the disappointment of last week's missed opportunity in Dunedin where New Zealand seemed destined to claim the first test before the weather intervened and robbed them of a win.
Today's proceedings were all about Boult, who produced a masterful display of accurate seam bowling in the capital.
"It was an enjoyable time bowling here with the wind and overcast conditions,'' Boult said in a television interview after the game.
"So it was brilliant this morning. Obviously I got to move the ball around a bit and have a bit of success there.''
Boult finished with 4-40 in the second innings as he claimed 10-80 for the match, his best match figures in tests, while his 6-40 in the first innings was a career-best for one innings.
Unsurprisingly, Boult was named man of the match and, while his efforts with the ball tore the West Indies apart, he also contributed a useful 38 not out with the bat from No 11 during New Zealand's innings.
New Zealand's ability to produce a big total of after losing the toss and being asked to bat first on a green Basin Reserve wicket on day one put them in a strong position to take the match and plenty of credit must go to No 4 Ross Taylor.
Backing up from his unbeaten 217 in the first test last week, Taylor stroked a composed 129 for New Zealand to provide the backbone to their innings, while BJ Watling also proved handy as he mustered 65.
Their runs - and a collection of other cameos - put New Zealand on the right track before Boult's big day out brought them to victory.
The series now moves to Hamilton for the third and final test starting at Seddon Park next Thursday where the West Indies will look to level the ledger.
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