Kyle Jamieson has helped the Black Caps claim the World No 1 test ranking. Photo / Photosport
Kyle Jamieson has helped the Black Caps claim the World No 1 test ranking. Photo / Photosport
New Zealand stood on the shoulders of a giant to complete an emphatic clean sweep of their test summer and make official their No 1 ranking in the world.
Their only remaining mountain to climb is a place in the World Test Championship final scheduled for Lord's in June, butthey can do nothing but sit back and wait to see if India and/or Australia can remain ahead of them.
New Zealand have ended their WTC campaign with a percentage of .700. Australia and India sit at .767 and .722 but are halfway through a series that will alter those numbers.
"I'll watch some of it when I'm perhaps feeding my baby girl or changing nappies," captain Kane Williamson said with a smile. "It's always great cricket but I won't be watching all of it. It's not in our hands at this point in time [so] we'll reflect on the cricket we've played.
"We can't control that [series], but it'd be nice if things fell our way."
The Casio FX82s will get a work out in weeks to come but now is a time to celebrate a comprehensive innings and 176-run victory that was highlighted by Kyle Jamieson's stunning return of 6-48 from 20 quite brilliant overs.
Jamieson's haul gave him a return of 11-117 for the match and at no stage did his figures feel inflated. Trent Boult was his main foil in this innings, taking 3-43.
Kyle Jamieson celebrates dismissing Mohammad Rizwan to complete a 10-wicket bag. Photo / Photosport
Allied to New Zealand's monumental 659-6, an innings that included a double century by Kane Williamson, 157 by a one-legged Henry Nicholls and a maiden century to Daryl Mitchell, the home side were far, far too good for a beleaguered Pakistan.
Christchurch Hospital overlooks Hagley Park and the sound of helicopters landing and taking off from its rooftop pad provided a regular backing track to the cricket.
There was something of a one-foot-on-the-plane feel to Pakistan's batting effort too. Faced with the prospect of countering Jamieson, they looked panic-stricken and in full retreat.
It was a limp end to their tour after taking New Zealand down to the wire in Mt Maunganui.
"The game is truly a game of small margins," Williamson said of the large-margin victory. "We know the quality side that Pakistan have and there were definitely moments in both games that either went our way or moments that we seized that went a long way to putting the result in our favour."
Williamson said Pakistan's first-innings total was one they would have taken in a heartbeat had they been inserted. They were in trouble at 71-3 in reply but the "moments" he talked about all happened in a hurry. Nicholls was dismissed off a no-ball, he was dropped, Williamson was too and just like that New Zealand took a firm grip and squeezed.
Kyle Jamieson has helped the Black Caps claim the World No 1 test ranking. Photo / Photosport
The final day was a formality in many respects after Pakistan began at 8-1 following the loss of luckless Shan Masood late on day three.
Williamson started the day with the old firm of Boult and Tim Southee, a bowling partnership he has leant heavily and successfully on down the years.
Boult was bowling from the Botanic Gardens End, where Jamieson had looked so menacing the previous evening. There was the sense that his introduction would be when the action started.
If Boult was the sensitive type he might take umbrage at this, like Sheriff Woody tossed to the back of the closet because Buzz Lightyear is in town. Instead his captain lauded him, saying it was Boult who "took himself off" late on day three to give Jamieson an opportunity with the new ball.
While Jamieson is a fantastic new toy, the old one still has some tricks as he showed by taking 3-43 off 18.4 overs and five for the match.
Pakistan's resistance was fickle. Abid Ali (26) was undone by a stunning one-handed catch from sub fielder Will Young, and Mohammad Rizwan got a near unplayable Jamieson inswinger, but too many wickets fell poking at Jamieson's steepling bounce rather than leaving.
The Black Caps celebrate Will Young's catch to dismiss Abid Ali. Photo / Photosport
Faheem Ashraf (28) was one of them. He probably just shaded Rizwan as Pakistan's player of the series, but flashed hard at Jamieson after tea and BJ Watling snaffled his 257th dismissal to move above Matt Prior into ninth on the all-time list. It was Jamieson's 11th and final wicket for the match.
Pakistan return home to play South Africa in a series. Their goal is simple: improve in all areas.
"Especially in fielding," Rizwan noted. "You drop catches, you can't win test matches. As captain, as a player, I take responsibility because I didn't keep wickets very well. We need to improve our fielding and we need to improve our top-order batting because we didn't do very well in that area.
Jamieson was named man of the match while Williamson, who scored 129, 21 and 238 in his three innings, took out the player of the series.
