West Indies v New Zealand, 2014

At Kingston, Jamaica, June 8-11, 2014. New Zealand won by 186 runs. Toss: New Zealand. Test debut: M. D. Craig.

A jubilant McCullum rated New Zealand's second victory in the Caribbean as "nigh on the perfect Test for us". His batsmen steadily accumulated a daunting total over the first two days, then his varied bowling attack exposed West Indies' frailties. The job was completed with a day to spare. It was a distinct turnaround from the corresponding Sabina Park match two years earlier, which had rounded off a miserable tour.

Most of the pre-match hype centred on Chris Gayle's 100th Test, in his home town. In spite of a lingering back injury that had required treatment in Germany, he allayed public concern by insisting he would play - the occasion was too special for him not to. The ninth West Indian to reach the landmark, Gayle was hoping for a celebratory hundred, but the plan was sabotaged by Southee on the third afternoon. Gayle fell to him again in the second innings as West Indies, already confronted by a substantial deficit, subsided to a defeat as comprehensive as their two Tests in New Zealand six months earlier.

It was a difficult initiation for Ramdin, the new captain, and his reconstituted team, which included three bowlers back from lengthy lay-offs. Jerome Taylor's previous Test had been in 2009, Sulieman Benn's in 2010, and Roach was in his first meaningful match since a shoulder operation seven months earlier. Shillingford, meanwhile, was playing his first Test since the ICC ordered more remedial work on his action.

On a slow, featureless pitch, New Zealand steadily laid the foundation for their highest total in the West Indies since 543 for three at Georgetown in 1971-72. Williamson was the linchpin: on the way to his sixth Test hundred, he added 165 for the second wicket with Latham, who popped a return catch to Shillingford in the final session, and 85 with Taylor.

New Zealand temporarily yielded their position on the second morning, as three wickets fell for 39 - including Williamson, bowled trying to leave alone Benn's arm-ball. But, against an attack that went as flat as the pitch, Neesham and Watling restored the earlier gains, putting on 201 in 60 overs. Neesham hit hard and clean for 107, his second successive hundred, following an unbeaten 137 on Test debut against India at Wellington in February.

Just before he was out he boasted a Test average of 277. McCullum declared late on the second evening, leaving Gayle and Powell nine nervy overs. They survived, and progressed to 60 next morning before the innings took a sudden turn for the worse. Powell, Edwards and Bravo fell for one run in 11 balls from debutant off-spinner Mark Craig and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Gayle and Chanderpaul temporarily steadied things, before Southee silenced the crowd by removing local heroes Gayle and Samuels in the same over. Once again, Chanderpaul was left to prop up the innings: for the 46th time in his 154 Tests he ended with an asterisk. His support was limited to Ramdin's fluent 39 and some tailend aggression from Benn and Shillingford.

With a lead of 246 and just over two days remaining, McCullum waived the follow-on, preferring to build quickly on the advantage - but he needed Plan B after Taylor and Roach reduced New Zealand to 14 for four early on the fourth day. The overnight victims had been Fulton and Williamson, again leaving one that hit off. Next morning, Jerome Taylor accounted for nightwatchman Sodhi, then trapped his namesake, Ross, first ball. Latham, in only his second Test, stabilised the innings for just over four hours until he edged Roach to slip. His temperament suggested he could be one half of the solution to New Zealand's continuing top-order problems, typified here by Fulton's double failure.

A scoring-rate of 2.5 an over delayed McCullum's second declaration until 20 minutes before tea. By then, 402 behind, West Indies seemed to have no stomach for the fight. Southee removed Powell and Gayle in an outstanding new-ball spell, after which Craig and Sodhi hurried New Zealand to their goal. Only Ramdin and some it's-all-over-anyhow hitting by the last pair extended the match into the extra half-hour. Shillingford belted five sixes from No. 11, to reach his half-century in only 25 balls - at the time the second fastest Test fifty, one ball behind Jacques Kallis, for South Africa v Zimbabwe at Cape Town in 2004-05.

Craig's four wickets gave him eight in all, the most by a New Zealander on debut, eclipsing Paul Wiseman's seven for 143 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in May 1998. Craig also won the match award, helped by the fact that he hit his first ball, from Benn, for a straight six.
Man of the Match: M. D. Craig.