The match also laid to rest a strange hoodoo - in 10 tests at McLean Park, this was New Zealand's first win.
If there was one Zimbabwe batting highlight, it was Malcolm Waller's cut shot to get the visitors from 24 to 28, past the dubious record of 26 set by New Zealand in 1955. The tourists were given some respite in the second innings by a 63-run, seven-wicket partnership between Regis Chakabva (63) and Graeme Cremer (26), but that was all.
More important than the win was its comprehensive nature, given Zimbabwe eased to 329 against the New Zealand XI last week. For starters, New Zealand were relentless in the field. There was not a dropped catch until Dean Brownlie dropped one at 4.21pm off Cremer. Fielding glitches were rare. In Brownlie's defence, he picked up four catches at third slip in the first innings and another in the second. Among New Zealand fieldsmen (not keepers) that's a feat bettered only by Stephen Fleming (against Zimbabwe in 2005).
The New Zealand bowlers sustained the pressure, delivering in tight channels on a decent batting strip with just a gentle sea breeze. Revolving the spells of the four pacemen proved as successful as when employed in the recent win against Australia.
Man-of-the-match Chris Martin took his best figures of six wickets for 26 runs in the second innings and had figures of eight for 31 for the match.
He was the best of the New Zealand bowlers, going to 218 test wickets and equalling Chris Cairns in third place on the New Zealand all-time list. His in-swinger was at its best, deceiving opponents into playing across the line early.
The Zimbabwe batting was woeful in other ways, too. They struggled to leave the ball, hanging their bats out along invisible curtain rails. It kept a predominantly five-man slip cordon busy.
"I can't recall a test like that, it was something to savour," Martin said. "As a [pace bowling] quartet, we don't get overbowled and we're competitive [with each other] so there's a bit of venom in every spell. There was good momentum. You don't often have three slips and two gullies to enforce the intimidation.
"There was only one partnership of any substance; we expected one bad innings and more fight in second."
Martin was pleased to go even with Cairns on the wicket-taking honours board: "I had him on my radar - but not at the start of the day."
Martin knocked the top off both innings but received ample support from Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult and Tim Southee, each of whom took wickets and bowled with rhythm to give Zimbabwe no respite.
BJ Watling's contribution was also immense. The new wicketkeeper proved capable - whether keeping up to Daniel Vettori's spin or back to the quartet's pace. He gave away just four byes (from a loose Boult delivery in the extra half hour) and took four catches in the second innings.
He took the gloves with the adrenaline pumping, having made his maiden test century. The moment was memorable, too. Turning for two, he took on Waller's throw from deep point and made his ground by one frame of film after spending a couple of minutes at the mercy of the television umpire.
The innings surpassed Watling's previous best of 60 not out on debut, also at McLean Park, in 2009. His success reinforced the reasons Wright picked him. He was keen to use his feet to leg spinner Cremer, showed his strength in clipping balls off his legs and patience leaving deliveries outside off stump.
He didn't dilly-dally either when asked to force the pace towards a declaration.
As a past gloveman, stand-in skipper Brendon McCullum rated Watling's performance: "You couldn't ask for more. The most pleasing aspect was the catch he took to finish the game, having batted for such a long period as well.
"To go through that time on your feet on a hot day and then to take a diving catch is pretty good."
Wright acknowledged his hunch to pick Watling from relative wicket-keeping obscurity had paid off.
"Watling didn't look out of place with the gloves. Given time, he's got the makings of being up to it at this level. We need someone like him at seven producing runs."
