New Zealand rewrote their record books when thrashing Zimbabwe in their one-off Test at Napier by an innings and 301 runs on Saturday.
The win was the biggest in New Zealand's Test history, their first win in 10 Tests at McLean Park, they equalled the record for most wickets in a day's play involving New Zealand of 22 and they inflicted the lowest total by Zimbabwe of 51 in their first innings. After their win over Australia in Hobart, it was the first time New Zealand had claimed successive Test victories since beating Bangladesh in 2007-08.
In claiming 6-26, his best Test return, in the second innings, to go with his 2-5 in the first, Chris Martin moved into a share of third place on the all-time New Zealand wicket-taking list with Chris Cairns on 218 wickets.
Having declared after an hour's play on the third morning on Saturday, as BJ Watling hit an unbeaten 102 to score his maiden Test century, New Zealand bowled with sustained accuracy against a Zimbabwe side incapable of coping with the bounce the home team generated.
New Zealand took 28.5 overs to clean up the first innings after veteran Chris Martin set the rot in action with two early wickets. He finished with 2-5 from six overs. Trent Boult took 2-24, Doug Bracewell 2-12, Daniel Vettori in 1-2 and Tim Southee 2-8. Backing their efforts was some tidy catching at third slip where Dean Brownlie held four catches.
Zimbabwe were asked to follow-on by stand-in New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum and Martin struck again to scythe through the top-order with three wickets for nine runs from five overs.
What Zimbabwean resistance there was came from Regis Chakabva and Graeme Cremer who put down an anchor during their seventh-wicket stand of 63 before Cremer holed out hitting a ball to mid-on fieldsman Bracewell from part-time off-spinner Kane Williamson when on 26.
Chakabva, playing his second Test, surpassed his top score in Tests when reaching 38 and he went on to his maiden half-century scored off 82 balls in 115 minutes. Another 34 were added with Shingi Masakadza who fell when Martin was reintroduced as New Zealand claimed the extra half-hour. Masakadza edged a ball to Watling and was given out, but immediately sought a review but it didn't help him.
Chakabva was the penultimate wicket to fall, for 63, when he was well caught by Brownlie leaping to catch a ball over his head from Martin. The next ball he claimed Brian Vitori, caught by Watling.
Earlier, Watling joined the ranks of New Zealand's Test century makers by completing his his 100th run in spectacular fashion to dive into his ground by a hair's breadth.
Watling was 52 not out when rain ended the second day's play and had cause for concern given rain had denied him the chance to score a century on debut against Pakistan two years ago on the same ground.
But with a 10am start and perfect conditions in Napier on Saturday, it was clear he was determined to take his chance this time around.
He lost Bracewell to the third ball of the day when he was bowled by Brian Vitori without adding to his overnight score of 11.
From the next ball, the first from the opposite end, Watling was trapped leg before wicket but he appealed immediately and the DRS revealed Shingi Masakadza have overstepped his mark by a significant margin for the no-ball.
Tim Southee settled in for four or five overs before unleashing an assault which yielded 37 from the last 19 balls he faced. Three fours in one over from Kyle Jarvis, were followed by two more in his next over.
Leg-spinner Graeme Cremer was next in line for the treat with a six and four before Southee hit out once too often and was caught in the deep for 44 from 39 balls.
Watling was on 78 at Southee's dismissal but Trent Boult offered the Zimbabweans no chance of a quick breakthrough and stood firm as Watling worked his way towards three figures.
There was one alarm on 90 when Watling was dropped at gully by Hamilton Masakadza from Jarvis' bowling.
Clearly the message had been to get on with the scoring and once he got to 98 having taken four with a pull shot, Watling played to cover and set off with two in mind and was fortunate the return was high and the television replay showed he was in by a frame.
Zimbabwe's lowest Test scores
51 v New Zealand, Napier, 2011-12
54 v South Africa, Cape Town, 2004-05
59 v New Zealand, Harare, 2005-06
63 v West Indies, Port of Spain, 1999-00
79 v Sri Lanka, Galle, 2001-02
Most wickets in a day involving NZ
22, NZ v Zimbabwe, 2011-12, Napier
22, NZ v India, 2002-03, Hamilton
21, England v NZ, 1999, Birmingham
20, Zimbabwe v NZ, 2005, Harare
18, NZ v England, 1930, Christchurch
18, NZ v Australia, 1973-74, Auckland
18, NZ v England, 1977-78, Wellington
18, NZ v Bangladesh, 2001-02, Hamilton
NZ's highest innings winning run margin
301 v Zimbabwe, Napier, 2011-12
294 v Zimbabwe, Harare, 2005-06
185 v Pakistan, Hamilton, 2000-01
137 v Bangladesh, Wellington, 2007-08
132 v England, Christchurch, 1983-84
105 v West Indies, Wellington, 1999-00