Day 1
New Zealand 183
Australia 147/3 (40.0 ov)
Australia trail by 36 runs with 7 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
With a grim determination to right a few of last year's Ashes wrongs, Australia took command of the first Test against New Zealand to rain on Brendon McCullum's 100th Test parade and subdue a packed house at the Basin Reserve.
Starting with Steven Smith's correct call at the toss, the visitors did very little wrong on the opening day of the series, taking advantage of the earlier moisture in the pitch with the ball, then settling in at the crease after Tim Southee claimed Joe Burns and David Warner.
Smith was out just before the close, but Usman Khawaja remained in ominous touch as he maintains his ascent to truly rarified batting territory. He will be joined on the second morning by Adam Voges, who shouldered arms in the last over to Doug Bracewell and was bowled, only to be reprieved by Richard Illingworth's no-ball call. Replays indicated Bracewell may not have overstepped - a likely source of tension after the Mitchell Marsh episode in Hamilton.
Day one was always going to be an important time to set a marker for a contest spanning only two Tests, and it was Australia's seam attack that did the job. In doing so they put on the sort of bowling display that was too seldom seen in England despite helpful conditions. They have already gone some distance towards claiming the game's No. 1 ranking.
While Jackson Bird struggled on his return to Test cricket after a three-year absence, Josh Hazlewood and Peter Siddle bowled exemplary lengths to probe for the outside and inside edges of the bat. Peter Nevill claimed four catches, the second a stunner when Siddle found Kane Williamson's inside edge. Nathan Lyon chimed in usefully after lunch to help round up the tail.
McCullum had enjoyed a proud morning, receiving a commemorative 100th Test cap, but he could only last a handful of balls before squeezing Hazlewood to the slip cordon. His bowlers were then unable to capitalise on the opening offered by Burns and Warner on a surface that eased for batting with every afternoon over.
The inclusions of Bird and Siddle indicated Australia's opinion of the pitch, and there was unmistakable relief on Smith's face when he sent McCullum in. Tom Latham and Martin Guptill began in a positive vein, but Hazlewood was extracting seam movement in both directions and it was a ball zipping away that coaxed a feather-edge from the left-hander - DRS was required to confirm it.
Hazlewood found an even better delivery for Guptill, who did little wrong in statuesque defence but could do nothing about the subtle seam movement that delivered a catch at head height to Smith. Bird was withdrawn from the attack after his first three overs cost 25, and Williamson punched his first ball down the ground.
But Siddle was not dissuaded from pursuing a full length, and second ball Williamson played slightly outside the line to snick past the stumps. Nevill re-transferred his weight and timed his lunge to perfection, the ball plopping softly into his left glove in a catch every wicketkeeper would be proud to claim.
The Australians, now surging, had another source of joy when McCullum could do nothing about a Hazlewood ball that seamed back and lobbed off bat and pad to David Warner. Henry Nicholls was drawn into pushing at Siddle and presented Nevill with his third catch of the morning on the stroke of drinks.
Corey Anderson and BJ Watling thus had a moment to compose themselves, and resolved to dig in. They managed to do so for the remainder of the session, Watling surviving a couple of close calls when he miscued a Mitchell Marsh delivery close to his own body, and when an LBW appeal and referral by Bird was found to have struck him marginally around the line of the off stump.
Watling could only last until the second over of the afternoon, done in by a Hazlewood delivery that bounced on a tight line and provided Nevill with another catch. Anderson's stern occupation was ended with an uncharacteristically half-hearted attempt to loft Lyon, before Southee sliced an attempted slog.
Mark Craig and Trent Boult added some pesky runs, but Khawaja completed a neat step-over routine near the boundary to dismiss the latter. There was some rum luck for Burns fourth ball of the innings, when his glove grazed a Southee delivery down the leg side and he was given out on referral, but Warner had only himself to blame for an intemperate swish in the bowler's next over.
It was telling for both sides that these wickets arrived as the result of misjudgments rather than unplayable deliveries. Southee and Doug Bracewell found a modicum of swing but there was no curve for Boult, who was unable to threaten in the way he would have wished despite the pace and bounce on offer.
Khawaja looked comfortable immediately, but Smith took some time to find the right rhythm for the occasion after a surfeit of limited-overs fixtures. Boundaries flowed regularly but there was also the occasional miscue - Smith skied one hook shot out of reach of the fielders, and was fortunate again when Craig grassed a low chance in the slips.
The runs, however, flowed steadily and the batsmen's security grew, allowing the partnership to develop into a significant one for the match. Craig made amends for his drop with a teasing spell in the final hour, beating Khawaja in flight and having the No. 3 edge past the stumps and Watling, before he claimed a low return catch from Smith. But if Australia's captain walked off annoyed at his dismissal, he could be more than satisfied with the day's work.
Day 2
New Zealand 183
Australia 463/6 (130.0 ov)
Australia lead by 280 runs with 4 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
It was New Zealand's acute misfortune to be confronted by two of Test cricket's most prolific batsmen of the moment at a time when the Basin Reserve had flattened out from the early life that Australia's bowlers had exploited so ably on day one.
Usman Khawaja's imperious fourth Test hundred in as many first innings and Adam Voges' calm supporting hand helped Australia take command of the first Test, in a day of considered and relentless batting that Steven Smiths' team will hope to replicate many times over on foreign assignments.
Finding an ideal offsider in Voges, Khawaja picked gaps regularly off both front and back foot to register his first Test century overseas. Given the opposition and the conditions he faced on day one it was arguably his finest, ending only when Trent Boult briefly found some life with the second new ball.
Voges was more reserved, but endured beyond the dismissals of Khawaja and a hard-handed Mitchell Marsh to forge on in the latest chapter of his extraordinary latter-day Test career. He was aided on his quest by a studied Peter Nevill and a helpful Peter Siddle - between them they helped Voges add 164. How Zealand must have cursed the "no-ball" on the first evening.
The pitch in Wellington eased into an ideal batting surface, and Brendon McCullum's bowlers struggled to find a way past Australia's in-form batting pair. Tim Southee and Boult found little movement to assist them, with pace and bounce reliably consistent for stroke play. The new ball brought more danger.
Southee had drawn a play and miss from Khawaja in the day's first over, but the final ball was sliced firmly backward of point for a pressure-releasing boundary. From there Khawaja was particularly punishing through the covers, and swivelled to pull powerfully when Doug Bracewell dropped short.
Voges was circumspect, settling into the crease for a long occupation, but drove and cut with alacrity when the opportunities arose. He was happy enough for the most part to play in Khawaja's slipstream, an eminently sensible approach given how well Australia's No. 3 is playing.
Khawaja waited six balls on 99 before Mark Craig gave him an obligingly short delivery to tug behind square leg. The milestone was cause for ebullient celebration, before Khawaja got quickly back to business.
Craig had one lbw appeal against Khawaja after he had passed three figures, but the DRS showed the ball was only clipping leg stump and Richard Illingworth's not-out verdict stood. As if to compound Craig's frustration, Khawaja cut the next two deliveries for four.
After lunch the pair accelerated until their stand was worth 168 and Australia's lead well past 100. The new ball brought the prospect of greater interest for New Zealand, and after Khawaja stroked Boult's first ball to the cover fence the left-armer created trouble by varying his line and degree of movement.
Khawaja finally fell to a delivery that straightened down the line of middle stump for an lbw verdict from Richard Kettleborough, though not before he had pushed his Test average beyond the 50 mark. Next ball, Marsh narrowly avoided a similar fate, but with his second he pushed with characteristic firmness and offered Boult the chance to take a wonderfully athletic return catch.
Nevill's hands were softer, and by the interval he and Voges had consolidated. The older man duly reached the fifth century of a run that is now stretching the bounds of credulity. His methods are the result of a long and hard first-class apprenticeship, his temperament and bearing, somewhat redolent of Michael Hussey.
After a stand of 96, Corey Anderson found some extra bounce to prise out Nevill. The local broadcaster had given Siddle the compliment of an allrounder's designation when the match began, and he did not let them down. Like Nevill, he began carefully before freeing up, all the while adding splendid support to Voges.
By day's end, the stand was worth 68, the lead 280 and, most memorably, Voges had in his possession a Test batting average of 100.33. In that context, at least, New Zealand's grim day was understandable.
Day 3
New Zealand 183 & 178/4 (62.3 ov)
Australia 562
New Zealand trail by 201 runs with 6 wickets remaining
Brendon McCullum fell on the stroke of stumps to leave New Zealand in a dire position after a day in which Adam Voges soared to his second double-century of the southern summer and Australia's bowlers worked diligently to find a way through New Zealand's top order, on a docile pitch at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
Mitchell Marsh's knack for taking important wickets was enhanced when McCullum was pinned in front in the final over, the umpire Richard Kettleborough giving the decision after a moment's deliberation. McCullum's referral was somewhat forlorn, much as New Zealand's prospects for saving the match now appear.
Australia's last five wickets had added 263 in total, leaving the hosts with an enormous task to save McCullum's 100th Test. Martin Guptill, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson all made starts but were teased out by excellent spells from Nathan Lyon and Josh Hazlewood, leaving McCullum and Henry Nicholls in terse occupation of the crease at stumps.
During his half-century Latham was fortunate to have survived an edge off Marsh's bowling, which the wicketkeeper Peter Nevill failed to clasp when diving across in front of Steven Smith at slip. Otherwise the Australians were exemplary, bowling in partnerships and frustrating Guptill and Latham into unwise attacks on Lyon.
New Zealand had managed to round up the Australian tail before lunch but only after Voges sailed on through to a supremely efficient 239, a score that left his Test batting average at an eye-popping 97.46 after 19 completed innings.
One point of interest about the morning's play was that all four wickets fell to catches in front of the wicket, including Corey Anderson's stunning return-catch to dismiss Lyon. Four caught and bowled dismissals for the innings equalled the Test record.
Peter Siddle and Voges had started the day in a positive vein, working the ball around with the occasional boundary as their stand took on impressive proportions, notwithstanding one blow on the helmet for Siddle when he ducked into a Trent Boult bouncer. The partnership was worth 99 and Siddle 49 when he pushed Doug Bracewell to mid-on.
Hazlewood played a handsome cover drive before trying to repeat the shot and spooning a catch, but Lyon hung around long enough to watch Voges reach 200, courtesy of an obliging full toss from Mark Craig. Lyon's exit via Anderson's acrobatics left time for an entertaining last pairing before Voges finally succumbed, 614 runs after his last dismissal.
Latham and Guptill negotiated one over before the interval, and showed good intent to score when play resumed. Guptill was particularly expansive, swatting Siddle for a trio of boundaries, and a swift half-century stand was raised.
However the introductions of Marsh and Lyon brought some different questions, with faint traces of reverse-swing evident. Latham reached out to drive at Marsh and edged, only for Nevill to react slightly late and not quite get the ball in the middle of his left glove. It was the first chance of note the keeper had missed in his brief Test career so far.
Guptill was itching to get at Lyon, but like so many batsmen before him, underestimated the spinner's flight, drift and drop. A ball arcing away drew a skier from the outer part of the bat, and Marsh did exceptionally well to hold the catch as he ran with the flight.
Williamson made a typically sturdy start to his innings before tea arrived, but on resumption was pinned down by Hazlewood, who pursued a most disciplined line around off stump with subtle movement either way. Having taken 23 balls for his first 20, Williamson was becalmed so much that when he touched another fine delivery running away from him, he departed for 22 in 44 deliveries.
Latham had also slowed down somewhat, and Lyon duly tempted him with an artfully flighted ball. It dipped and dropped in advance of Latham, who carried through with his shot and was well taken by Usman Khawaja, making good ground from mid-off to claim the catch.
McCullum came out with steely intent, eschewing most of his usual flourishes, and had a moments' fortune when he edged Lyon barely wide of Steven Smith. But the last over would bring the lbw verdict, and a deflating departure for the captain.
Day 4
New Zealand 183 & 327 (104.3 ov)
Australia 562
Australia won by an innings and 52 runs
Emphatic doesn't quite do it justice. Unrelenting throughout, Australia put on another exhibition of high quality bowling to seal a vast victory over New Zealand and place one hand on the ICC Mace awarded to the world's No. 1 Test team. A deflating result for the visitors in Brendon McCullum's 100th Test was only a tail-end flurry short of New Zealand's heaviest ever loss at home to Australia.
Having set up the match with expert use of seaming early conditions on the first morning, Australia's bowlers asked quite different questions on the fourth morning. Mitchell Marsh, Josh Hazlewood and Jackson Bird all used reverse swing to good effect, while Nathan Lyon homed in on a footmark outside the right-handers' off stump to gain sharp spin. The absence of Peter Siddle, resting a back complaint, was well compensated for.
Steven Smith will be a most contented captain, having overseen a performance in which many questions about this team have been answered. They chose the right XI for the conditions, they bowled impressively, and most importantly batted with command even after Joe Burns and David Warner were out cheaply with the ball still new on day one. New Zealand will be left to wonder over the significance of the "no-ball" that reprieved Adam Voges early.
Henry Nicholls endured longest for the hosts, on the way to making the highest score by a New Zealand debutant batting at No. 4. But his dismissal on 59 by Bird left the tail exposed to the bounce and conventional swing of the second new ball. Southee and Trent Boult entertained another strong Basin Reserve crowd with a late flurry against Lyon, but it was merely a parting shot.
Having lost McCullum from the last ball of day three, New Zealand's chances of survival were slim, and they narrowed further when the 63-over old ball began bending in both directions. Corey Anderson struggled with the ball moving away from him around the wicket, but after a few play and misses Smith directed Marsh to go over the wicket and try to straighten one down the line.
Two balls into the tactic, Marsh pitched one in line and swung it back to pin Anderson in front. Like McCullum he reviewed, but it was a futile gesture for a delivery crashing into middle and leg.
BJ Watling arrived and his first ball from Lyon hit the aforementioned footmark and narrowly missed spinning back to strike the off stump with the batsman offering no shot. Lyon took note of this, and it was not long before he delivered a slightly flatter delivery on the same line that had Watling playing back, fatally. The turning ball was through him in an instant.
Nicholls had absorbed all this pressure, but Bird's decision to send one down at a full length made the difference, coaxing the batsman into a flick across the line. Again there was some swing, and the ball flicked off the pads into the stumps. At this, the Australians took the second new ball, and a Hazlewood lbw review against Doug Bracewell was declined due to a lack of conclusive evidence before the interval.
Hazlewood had his due reward soon after resumption, when Bracewell was struck in front: this time there was no bat to confuse the issue. Southee's blows dented Lyon's figures somewhat, but the bowler was content to keep tossing it up in expectation of a miscue, which was exactly what happened.
Mark Craig and Boult entertained for a time also, but in playing so freely they did nothing so much as underline how well the Australians had bowled to the batsmen. A match over in fewer than four days had taken place on a pitch that would still be good for batting on day five. In pursuit of Test cricket's top perch, Smith's men had played to a very high standard indeed.
2nd Test
Day 1
New Zealand 370
Australia 57/1 (20.0 ov)
Australia trail by 313 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
He's not going quietly. Brendon McCullum blasted into history with the fastest Test hundred of them all to leave Australia speechless and grant New Zealand a first-innings foothold on an unforgettable day at Hagley Oval.
Arriving at the crease with the hosts a floundering 32 for 3 in the 20th over of the innings, McCullum launched an immediate counterattack in the lead-up to lunch. On resumption he stepped things up further in the company of a similarly fearless Corey Anderson, and spanked Josh Hazlewood over wide mid-off to reach his century in a mere 54 balls - two fewer than Viv Richards in 1986 and Misbah-ul-Haq in 2014.
Most of Test cricket's fastest hundreds have been compiled in circumstances that heavily favoured batsman, whether it be the pitch or the match scenario. Not so this time, as McCullum and Anderson overcame the obstacles of a lively pitch, a dominant Australian attack and a day one scenario that would traditionally have called for dogged defence.
Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson and Jackson Bird had all bowled demanding spells with the new ball, but none were able to find an answer for McCullum's assault. Vitally, an outstanding catch by Mitchell Marsh when McCullum had made 39 was rendered meaningless when the replay showed Pattinson had overstepped.
It would have been Australia's third brilliant catch of the innings, after the captain, Steven Smith, snared a pair of thrilling one-handed takes to dismiss Tom Latham and Kane Williamson. The second of these was made still more impressive by the fact that Smith was partly obscured by a helmet-clad David Warner, posted at a short third slip close to the bat.
After useful innings by BJ Watling and Matt Henry, New Zealand were ultimately bowled out for 370, leaving Australia with a testing period to bat in the evening session. The tourists' over rate was less than optimal during the afternoon, something that may result in a fine for Smith, though more than 12 months after his previous transgression, against India in late 2014.
Warner and Joe Burns began carefully, weighing up conditions that still provided some challenges to the batsmen. Boult was particularly testing, gaining just enough movement to draw an edge from Warner that was comfortably held in the slips. Burns and Usman Khawaja did well to get to stumps, but there is plenty of work yet to be done.
As was the case in Wellington, Smith did not hesitate in sending New Zealand in on a pitch even greener than that served up at the Basin Reserve. Hazlewood and Pattinson found extravagant seam movement immediately, leaving Martin Guptill and Latham groping for the new ball.
Guptill was particularly troubled by Pattinson deliveries that cut back into him, and an inside edge squeezed off the body presented a chance to the short leg, Joe Burns, who grassed it. Another opportunity was not long in coming, and this time Burns did well to propel himself forward for the catch.
A period of stalemate followed, as Williamson and Latham tried to dig in. There were multiple plays and misses, and pressure built through some diligent work by Hazlewood, Pattinson and Bird. Eventually, Bird gave Latham one to drive, and the batsman's slightly hesitant movement drew an edge towards the slips. It was probably Adam Voges' catch, but Smith removed all doubt by flinging himself brilliantly across for a one-handed classic.
Hazlewood had bowled beautifully without reward, but he now homed in on Nicholls, who had edged a ball going across him on day one in Wellington. This time Hazlewood seamed one back down the line, and pinned Nicholls in front of the off stump. Richard Kettleborough gave it out, and the batsman's review only confirmed the fact.
All this time Williamson had been battling for survival, his back thigh taking a battering as he was often turned around by seam movement. Sensing momentum needed to change, McCullum walked out with his mind set on attack, and, after accepting a gracious guard of honour from the Australians, he did exactly that.
McCullum's first shot flew fortunately over the slips, but he subsequently found his range, and one Mitchell Marsh over was dispatched for no fewer than 21 runs including a pair of sixes. The Hagley Oval crowd came to life, and Australia's grip on proceedings was loosened.
They tightened it again when Smith swooped to claim Williamson, but Pattinson's overstep shifted momentum back towards New Zealand. The reprieve allowed McCullum to carry on charging at the bowlers with all the crazy brave belief of a man who knows his luck is in.
There were almost as many edges as full-blooded shots, not unlike Ian Botham at Headingley in 1981, but on a surface offering useful sideways movement this was to be expected. What McCullum did achieve was to throw Australia's bowlers off the optimum approach for the pitch.
Rather than pursuing the edge of the bat, the visiting pacemen dropped shorter and shorter, inviting McCullum and Anderson to use a horizontal bat. What resulted was an avalanche of runs that put New Zealand firmly back into the match and left Australia pondering a more challenging pursuit than they had faced in Wellington.
Aside from McCullum's thrilling display, the overall scoring was equally eye-popping. No fewer than 199 runs came between lunch and tea, 161 in 16 overs after Pattinson's no-ball. When McCullum finally hit one within reach of an Australian fielder to depart for 145, Hagley Oval stood as one. It may as well have been the whole of New Zealand.
Day 2
New Zealand 370
Australia 363/4 (110.0 ov)
Australia trail by 7 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings
If day one in Christchurch was unforgettable for its exhilaration, day two was unmistakably about Australian resolve. Steven Smith's team dearly want to return home with the No. 1 Test ranking in their possession, and a day's relentless batting at Hagley Oval was a long stride towards doing so.
Brendon McCullum's world record had been that of the breathtaking daredevil, but the 289-run partnership between Smith and Joe Burns that stretched across the vast majority of play was something far sturdier, less explosion than construction. Even if the surface had flattened out considerably, both batsmen had to fight throughout against doughty bowling and McCullum's ever-changing plans.
One of his last brainstorms resulted in a pair of belated wickets, accounting for Burns and Smith on the pull shot. Those wickets detracted somewhat from Australia's day, and left New Zealand with a glimmer of hope should they be able to cut through the middle order in the morning.
Smith's innings was marked by physical courage as well as mental application. Midway through the day he was struck painfully in the stomach and in Neil Wagner's last over before tea Smith reeled after ducking into a bouncer. Shaken but unmoved, he faced up to the next ball and played a game pull shot.
For Burns it was a first overseas century and a key marker of his progress as a member of the Australian top order - the sort of innings his predecessor Chris Rogers would have been proud to call his own. Smith meanwhile built another innings redolent of a leader, following up from his scene-setting 71 in Wellington. New Zealand started this tour seeming to have good idea of how to bowl at Smith, but he has ground them down admirably.
New Zealand had entered the day knowing they needed to take advantage of a still newish ball and any remaining moisture in the pitch with quick wickets, and the early loss of Usman Khawaja gave them hope. But Burns and Smith combined in a steely stand that absorbed much of what McCullum's men hurled at them.
In the day's early overs, the finest hint of movement was evident, and after getting underway with a neat square cut, Khawaja was defeated by a Trent Boult delivery that straightened down the line, caught the edge and was well held by McCullum in the slips cordon.
That wicket put a spring in New Zealand steps, and both Burns and Smith had to endure plenty of testing deliveries in the next hour. Burns came within a centimetre or so of being out when he tried to leave a prancing delivery from Matt Henry.
New Zealand went up in a unanimous and convincing appeal, the umpire's finger was raised, and Burns immediately reviewed, walking down the wicket with a shake of the head. Replays showed the ball had grazed his shirt rather than glove, and the third umpire Richard Illingworth relayed an overturned verdict.
That moment seemed to ease some of the tension, and from there Burns and Smith freed up with a handful of attractive strokes. There were still uncomfortable moments, epitomised by Smith receiving a painful blow to the midriff when trying to pull Boult, but by lunch Australia had done much of the hard work.
Smith moved swiftly to his fifty when the afternoon began, but the majority of the session was taken up by hard graft. Over and around the wicket, straight fields and square, short balls and full, New Zealand probed every possible avenue on what had become a pleasant batting surface, but Burns and Smith were unmoved.
Eventually, Burns reached 96 and went to three figures with an edge guided safely along the ground to the third-man boundary. His hearty celebrations were replaced by obvious concern when Smith was felled by Wagner, before the captain dusted himself off and resumed his calm occupation in the evening session.
Surely enough, Smith went to his century with a slice behind point, clenching his fist with considerable passion at the milestone. So safe did he and Burns look that an unbroken stand at stumps seemed a likely possibility until Wagner and McCullum plotted another short-ball attack.
Drained by their innings, Burns and then Smith both fell to this somewhat obvious trap, rolling their wrists to swivel balls straight to Martin Guptill at backward square leg. Adam Voges and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon fought through to stumps, and will have more to do tomorrow.
Day 3
New Zealand 370 & 121/4 (44.0 ov)
Australia 505
New Zealand trail by 14 runs with 6 wickets remaining
As much as this series has packed into two Test matches, one element missing was high pace. James Pattinson changed all that on the third evening at Hagley Oval, summoning a frightening spell that cut deep into New Zealand's batting and helped bring about the end of Brendon McCullum's storied international career.
On a day when Neil Wagner's persistent short-ball attack had already been rewarded with a flurry of wickets after lunch, as New Zealand restricted Australia's first-innings lead, Pattinson showed how speed can transcend conditions. His hostility and reverse swing left the hosts 14 runs in deficit with only six wickets remaining ahead of day four.
Always a rhythm bowler, Pattinson had not quite found his form on day one and also bowled the fateful no-ball that cost Australia McCullum's wicket. This time his pace and seam position were very much in sync, accounting for Martin Guptill, Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls before boring in at McCullum.
While he did not take the wicket, Pattinson gave McCullum plenty to think about and on 25, the batsman slogged at Josh Hazlewood and was wonderfully caught by David Warner at midwicket. He and Steven Smith shook the departing McCullum's hand but both know that victory and the world No. 1 Test ranking is now within reach.
Adam Voges and the nightwatchman Nathan Lyon had played serenely in the early part of the day, but Voges' departure to the pull short, after the fashion of Joe Burns and Smith, heralded the loss of quick wickets. In all, Australia's last six wickets tallied only 67.
Wagner's energy and commitment to banging the ball into the pitch was not sophisticated, but over time it worked wonders on a surface given to the occasional bout of variable pace. His celebrations grew in exuberance at each wicket, as Australia's advantage was limited.
For Voges, it was another instance of applying the sturdy, calculated approach that has brought him runs at a scarcely believable rate in recent times. Momentarily his Test batting average again cleared 100, the only man to occupy that rarified air above Sir Donald Bradman.
There had been more ambitious hopes for New Zealand when play began, following up on last evening's dual dismissals. Wagner resumed with a similar line of attack, peppering Voges and Lyon with short stuff.
Partly through determination and good technique, partly due to the docile character of the pitch, the batsmen were able to stand up to this examination, as Lyon repeatedly covered the bounce and dead-batted it near his feet.
Runs flowed a little more freely after those early overs, though neither batsman played with extravagance. Voges offered a neat cut shot here, a checked drive there, while Lyon worked the ball around with the earnest intent of a man who would like to bat further up the order more often.
Trent Boult had one concerted lbw appeal and review against Voges, but video evidence had the ball not swinging back enough to hit the stumps. It was telling that McCullum was reduced to bowling himself with the nightwatchman at the crease, and the Hagley Oval crowd raised a cheer when he beat Lyon's outside edge.
At the other end, Williamson would tempt Lyon into following a ball angled across him, and McCullum swooped nicely for the catch. Mitchell Marsh had a 21-ball sighter before the interval, and had the potential to lift the scoring rate dramatically when play resumed.
Instead it was Voges who tried to push things along, and departed when Latham timed his leap to catch a flat pull shot at midwicket. Marsh also tried to take on Wagner, and likewise arrowed a catch to the inner field on the leg side.
Pattinson broke the sequence with a sliced drive to point, before Peter Nevill's attempted upper cut settled into BJ Watling's gloves. Josh Hazlewood offered a simple catch to McCullum at slip to hand Wagner his sixth wicket, a deserved analysis.
It was immediately apparent that Pattinson was bowling with good pace and a hint of movement, and the ball was still new when he found Guptill's outside edge. Latham and Kane Williamson endured for a while, and Australia briefly pondered a review when Jackson Bird hit the No. 3 on the back pad.
Smith brought Pattinson back and he soon had Latham's wicket when some extra bounce resulted in a glove down the leg side. Nicholls was tightened up by a disciplined line and some pronounced reverse swing, before Pattinson angled one wider and was rewarded with a waft, an edge and a catch for Smith.
McCullum's arrival was warmly received, and for a while he seemed to be building something. He eschewed the extravagance of day one, instead mixing defence with calculated attack, but Pattinson did not give him a moment's peace as Smith allowed the spell to stretch into a seventh over.
There was one raucous lbw appeal denied, and one catch turned down after replays showed the ball had gone from bat to ground to boot - shades of Marsh's ODI dismissal in Hamilton. Eventually Pattinson was spelled, and when McCullum hoisted Hazlewood over the midwicket fence New Zealand still dreamed.
Next ball, however, Warner swooped, ending a glittering career and putting the prize of top spot well and truly within Australia's sights.
Day 4
New Zealand 370 & 335
Australia 505 & 70/1 (20.0 ov)
Australia require another 131 runs with 9 wickets remaining
New Zealand delayed, annoyed and even frustrated Australia into some of the ugliest scenes of the summer. Yet Steven Smith's men persisted through it all, and by day's end were a mere 131 runs away from claiming victory in Christchurch and the No. 1 Test ranking.
For all the hosts' fighting qualities, whether it was Kane Williamson's dogged 97, Corey Anderson's self-denial or the common sense rearguard of BJ Watling and Matt Henry, Australia always stayed ahead of the game. For this they can thank Jackson Bird, who summoned his first five-wicket haul in Tests, and also the support of James Pattinson, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh.
While David Warner nibbled down the leg side to complete the most underwhelming Test series of his career, Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja fought through to the close against another round of short balls from Neil Wagner.
At one point, slip was the only man on the off side, making Wagner's attack obvious. But the second-wicket stand came closest to being broken when Khawaja nearly edged an attempted drive onto the stumps in Anderson's final over of the day.
Australia's efforts in the field had been obvious, and often near the edge of exasperation. Tempers had simmered during a long stand between Williamson and Anderson, before Bird struck once with the old ball then twice with the new to take the visitors closer to a fourth-innings chase. But Watling and Henry played with good sense to add 118 and ensure New Zealand have something to defend.
Pattinson and Hazlewood again bowled with pace, direction and reverse swing in the first hour and went exceptionally close to dismissing both batsmen more than once. Hazlewood's last appeal - and Australia's last referral - moments before lunch drew another denial and considerable frustration from Smith's men.
There was self-recrimination, too, when Marsh dropped Anderson at the gully, and the tourists went to the interval clearly angry at not being able to dislodge the overnight pair. They were more patient when faced by Watling and Henry, eventually rewarded when Pattinson had Watling caught on the leg side and Henry was bowled by Bird.
Old-ball swing had been key to Australia claiming four wickets on the third evening, and it was again evident as Pattinson and Hazlewood resumed their barrage. Williamson and then Anderson were both subjects of concerted lbw appeals, but on each occasion DRS replays showed contact with the bat first.
Anderson's escape was queried by the Australians, but was quickly followed by a ball angled across and a sliced drive that burst through Marsh's hands. By the standard set in this match, including Marsh's own unrewarded catch off a no-ball on day one, it was a bad miss.
Further close calls followed: Williamson edged Hazlewood the merest fraction short of Peter Nevill's gloves, and right on lunch the bowler appeared to strike New Zealand's No. 3 in front with a swinging yorker from around the wicket.
The Australians appealed vehemently and reviewed instantly, but HotSpot replays picked up the faintest inside edge from Williamson before the ball struck his pad, leaving Smith's men to angrily confront the on-field umpire and express their surprise.
Through all this Williamson and Anderson remained, giving New Zealand something of a foothold in the match against increasingly feverish opponents. They remained unhappy until Bird coaxed Anderson into dragging on in the 79th over of the innings, a wicket that opened up an end for the second new ball.
Williamson was on 97 when a hint of seam movement with the fresh ball resulted in an edge onto the stumps and, in the same over, Tim Southee snicked to Smith in the slips. Australia sensed they were close to sealing the match, but Watling and Henry had other ideas.
Unfussy but positive, they worked the ball around with calculated moments of aggression to build the lead, not offering a chance in the process. By the interval their union was New Zealand's best for the eighth wicket in a decade, once more leaving Smith to ponder his options.
Pattinson tightened up Watling after the break and was rewarded when he flicked the lowest of catches to Joe Burns in front of square leg. Bird found a way through Henry and Trent Boult offered up a skier to give the adopted Tasmanian a Test five-for - vindication of the selectors' decision to recall him for the first time in three years.
A target of 201 was tricky, but Warner and Burns began briskly, quickly whittling down the equation and easing any nerves. Though Warner fell to Wagner, Khawaja was rapidly into his stride, while Burns batted as if to continue his first innings. New Zealand now have only the faintest hope, Australia both eyes on the Test Championship Mace.
Day 5
New Zealand 370 & 335
Australia 505 & 201/3 (54.0 ov)
Australia won by 7 wickets
At once a benediction and a coronation, Brendon McCullum's final moments as a Test cricketer marked Australia's ascendancy to the world No. 1 Test ranking after a resilient and relentless performance by Steven Smith's men.
It was Smith at the other end as Adam Voges stroked the winning runs through cover after key contributions from Joe Burns and Usman Khawaja. A target of 201 was never enough for New Zealand to defend against an Australian batting line-up that has carried much before them since the harsh lessons of England last year.
Since the nadir of Trent Bridge, Australia have won seven of nine Tests without once tasting defeat, enough to hand them the ICC Mace as the world's top team and a $1 million prize. This was the first time Australia reached No. 1 since 2014, but the difference now was a far younger team aware there was still much more to do: namely to succeed in Asia, against Sri Lanka and India over the coming 15 months.
Befitting their enduring loyalty to McCullum, New Zealand's effort was never less than wholehearted. This was epitomised by Neil Wagner's continued bouncer assault on the tourists, despite carrying what had been revealed to be a broken left hand from a Burns shot that burst through his fingers on the fourth evening.
Even so, it was occasionally puzzling to see New Zealand not really trying to generate pressure through disciplined lines and reverse swing, which Matt Henry in particular was able to find. Smith relished the challenge of matching McCullum's outlandish field settings with creativity of his own.
Khawaja had a fortunate escape in the second over of the morning, edging Trent Boult precisely between the wicketkeeper and a wide sole slip. Thereon he accumulated his runs in calm style.
Batting was more of a struggle for Burns, who was struck one glancing blow on the helmet by Wagner and others on the body. He took 35 minutes of play to add to his overnight score, but refused to be flustered and eventually went to a deserved fifty.
Tim Southee's entry to the attack brought another Khawaja edge, this time held smartly by McCullum above his head. Smith arrived to one last display of lateral captaincy from New Zealand's retiring leader, a packed leg side field and another short-ball attack.
Having been hit hard by a bouncer in the first innings, Smith resolved to attack, and boldly hooked his first short ball from Wagner over the head of the man at fine leg. He used the full width of the crease to open up other scoring zones, and was soon bringing the target well within reach.
After speaking with the umpires, Smith took the opportunity for an extra 15 minutes to try to seal the game without breaking for lunch. Burns rose to the challenge with a pair of boundaries before being bowled by Boult when going for a third, leaving Smith to concede the job could not be done before the interval.
The remaining 16 runs were duly polished off in early afternoon, Voges finishing off the match with a princely cover drive. Australian celebrations were of the reserved variety: partly out of deference for McCullum, but also in acknowledgement of the fact that getting to the top is one thing, staying there quite another.
