Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway put together a match-winning partnership. Photo / Photosport
Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway put together a match-winning partnership. Photo / Photosport
Trent Boult took the catch of the summer, Matt Henry had the ball on a string and Jimmy Neesham bounced back nicely, but they were mere sidebars to the main story: the stunning rise of two batsmen the vast majority of New Zealanders had barely seen play 18 months ago.
The Black Caps swept their three-match series against Bangladesh, winning the third match at the Basin Reserve by 164 runs after a woeful, peculiarly passive attempt at chasing 319 to win.
Serious questions need to be asked in the Bangla camp about their preparation and approach to this match, with the fielding and batting glaringly inadequate.
To be fair, New Zealand's top order didn't cover itself in glory either.
Two players with six ODIs between them combined for a 159-run partnership, scored their maiden one-day centuries and dragged their side through to a target that was too rich for Bangladesh.
That Devon Conway was one of them almost goes without saying. Wellington fans have been clamouring for his introduction from the day the Jo'burger signalled his intention to qualify for New Zealand.
For them it has been a case of instant gratification. For others less familiar with his work, it's been a revelation. His 126 (110 balls) oozed class. His elevation to the test team for the Lord's test in June now looks a formality.
Devon Conway celebrates his maiden ODI century. Photo / Photosport
That the other player was Daryl Mitchell should also not come as a surprise. While Conway's ascension has been spectacular, Mitchell's has barely been any less subdued. The major difference has been opportunity, given he bats in the middle order.
It would be a stretch to say Mitchell's innings oozed class, but it was a heady knock – muscular, well-paced and occasionally lucky.
It was the right innings for the right time, coming after the inglorious dismissals of the experienced batsmen - Henry Nicholls (18), Martin Guptill (26), Ross Taylor (seven) and Tom Latham (18).
When the latter skewed to point, the hosts were 120-4 and had used nearly half their allotted overs – at that point 300-plus seemed a ridiculous idea.
Then again, Conway is a ridiculous talent with an ability to accelerate smoothly without putting the foot down. Granted, he's probably spent more time in the middle of the Basin Reserve than anybody else over the past few years, but his ability to adjust to different conditions is, say it quietly, Kane Williamson-like.
Mitchell, on the other hand, had to punch his way to 100. There were some deft reverse laps and flicks but his go-to, break-the-shackles shot was to hit hard to midwicket.
He should never have reached 100 but it won't bother him. It's not Mitchell's job to catch balls he hits in the air, or to gather throws cleanly from the outfield when you're short of your ground, which is what happened on the 300th and final legal delivery of the innings. On 98 he skewed one to midwicket and should have been run out by a couple of metres returning for his second but Mushfiqur Rahim, who has hands like feet on this tour, spilled the throw.
Daryl Mitchell celebrates his maiden ODI century. Photo / Photosport
If Bangladesh was to have any chance skipper Tamim Iqbal needed a big one, not a big 1. He nicked the excellent Matt Henry behind for a single, the same score under-fire number three Soumya Sarkar managed before top-edging the same bowler to Boult.
That catch was regulation, the next one wasn't. Liton Das (21) went to hit expansively to the leg side but caught a leading edge that sent it well to Boult's left at third man. He picked up the flight early, raced around took a one-handed stunner inches above the turf.
If there was any doubt before, this ended it. Game over.
For reasons known only to them, the Bangladeshis treated the rest of the innings like an open-wicket practice for a test match not on the schedule.
Mahmudullah's late innings flurry (76* off 73) gave the innings a veneer of respectability it never deserved.
Henry (4-27) and Neesham (5-27) were the primary beneficiaries, with the latter getting through a pleasing seven-plus overs of work after a difficult day at Hagley Oval three days ago.
Bangladesh have now played 29 international cricket matches against New Zealand in New Zealand and lost them all, including 16 ODIs.
Ahead of the T20I series against a Black Caps team resting their best players, they might want to look to the late tennis legend Vitas Gerulaitis for inspiration. He was on a terrible losing streak against world number one Jimmy Connors before finally beating him on his 17th attempt.
"And let that be a lesson to you all," he said. "No one beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row."
