New Zealand’s batting mainstay Ross Taylor was fittingly unbeaten when the Black Caps completed an eight-wicket third Test win over the West Indies in Hamilton on Sunday.
A classy Kane Williamson half-century steered the Kiwis to victory early in the second session of the fourth day but it was apt that Taylor was in the middle as the victory target of 122 was reached.
Taylor was two not out to take his series runs tally to 495 and his efforts and those of new ball pair Trent Boult and Tim Southee ensured the home side claimed the three Test series 2-0.
After the pace duo combined to skittle the tourists for 103 on the third day, the hosts knocked off the total shortly after lunch at Seddon Park.
They lost Peter Fulton early and Williamson fell for 56 with six runs still required, leaving it to Hamish Rutherford to hit the winning boundary to finish unbeaten on 48 with Taylor alongside him.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was quick to praise the contribution of Taylor after his 131 in the first innings helped dig them out of hole after winning the toss and bowling.
“When we saw it turning and bouncing there was a bit of concern, thankfully we were able to get as close to their score as we did with Ross playing another world-class innings.”
Taylor helped help the hosts get to 349 in reply to the tourists’ 367 and enjoyed a prolific series, scoring an unbeaten 217 and two centuries and only missed out by six runs from overhauling the most Test runs in a calendar year by a New Zealand batsman.
“If he was to retire now he’d go down as one of our all-time greats. We should enjoy the ability to watch a guy like that,” said McCullum of the man he replaced as skipper.
The West Indies were outplayed in all three Tests and captain Darren Sammy was not happy.
“Once again we’ve been taught a lesson at Test cricket,” said Sammy.
“We have a lot to learn. We didn’t display the ability or mental toughness to play Test cricket.
“We came here to good batting conditions, that’s not a 103-run pitch,” he said.
The tourists’ shortcomings against swing bowling were ruthlessly exposed by Boult and Southee during the series with the pair sharing 38 wickets between them.
Boult had 20 scalps and Southee 18 while the West Indies’ three seamers could only managed 17 wickets collectively.
It ends a series where New Zealand, ranked eighth in Test cricket, dominated their sixth-ranked opponents and were only denied a clean sweep when rain intervened in their quest for 112 to win the opening Test in Dunedin.
They now played five one-dayers against the same opposition starting in Auckland on Boxing Day.