New Zealand v Australia, 2015-16

At Wellington (Basin Reserve), February 12-15, 2016. Australia won by an innings and 52 runs. Toss: Australia. Test debut: H. M. Nicholls.
Locals claim the Basin Reserve is the world's biggest roundabout and, over four days of gentle New Zealand summer, life burbled contentedly around the ground, with crowds circling like the traffic. There wasn't much to cheer on day one. It took Hazlewood less than four overs to tick off both openers with bounce and seam, before having McCullum caught at slip via his pad for a duck in his 100th Test. Either side of McCullum's dismissal, Siddle removed Williamson from an inside edge that was brilliantly caught by Nevill, then Test debutant Nicholls on the drive. Five for 34 in nine overs left New Zealand nowhere to go.

Anderson and Watling made it to lunch, but Watling followed up his sandwich with a peach from Hazlewood, and Bracewell came and went. Anderson's uncharacteristically watchful 38, from 87 balls, was wasted when he thrashed at Lyon, who quickly added Southee. At 137 for nine, Craig and Boult had licence to hit, and their 46 was the best stand of the innings. Siddle's first 11 overs had gone for 21, but Craig struck 16 from the next, while Boult affirmed his status as cricket's most entertaining last man in with three enormous driven sixes off Lyon. A smart boundary catch from Khawaja - stepping over the rope after parrying the ball in the air, then back into play to catch it - denied Boult a fourth.

New Zealand were briefly in the game as Southee sent back Australia's openers with five on the board. But Craig dropped Smith on 18 at second slip off Bracewell, and the third-wicket stand with Khawaja extended to 126. In the day's final over a nervy Voges, on seven, left a Bracewell inswinger, which took out off stump. Australia should have been four down and 37 behind - but umpire Richard Illingworth extended his arm for a no-ball. Replays showed Bracewell's entire heel behind the line, but there was no way to unscramble the omelette. New Zealand could lament it, but Voges had the class to add 232. He returned on the second day like an old Soviet soldier in Eastern Europe: he shouldn't have been there, but his occupation was undeniable. Never did he look settled, and there was an edginess to his blocking and squeezing. But there was a bloody-mindedness, too, and it would not countenance dismissal.

By contrast, Khawaja's left-handed cover-drives were double cream. He had made an even hundred in fours by the time Boult swung a beauty into his pads; two balls later, Boult procured an acrobatic return catch off Marsh. By stumps Voges had taken his career average above Bradman's 99.94, and passed Sachin Tendulkar's record of 497 runs between dismissals. Never one for attention, Voges later said he was relieved to drop back to a mortal 97.46 after he was finally dislodged for 239, though by then he had extended Tendulkar's old record to 614.

In their previous two Tests at Wellington, New Zealand had recovered from deficits of 135 (to beat Sri Lanka) and 246 (to draw with India). But there would be no third escape. With 379 runs to play with - Australia's highest first-innings lead in New Zealand - Lyon had time to find rhythm. Latham yet again gave away a start, while Nicholls looked in good touch, but played across the line to Bird, the only wicket for the only Australian bowler to have a poor match.

When McCullum was nailed in the final over of the third day, the contest was as good as done. Southee boshed 48 next afternoon to claim the most Test sixes from No. 10 (nipping past Fred Trueman's 16), having already set the record for No. 9 (29, nine more than Michael Holding). Not to be left out, Boult claimed the record for No. 11, moving ahead of Courtney Walsh to 17. But humorous trivialities were all New Zealand could take from the game, their first innings defeat at home since England won here in 1996-97. McCullum's bandwagon had hit a bump.
Man of the Match: A. C. Voges