New Zealand inched closer to becoming the No.1 ranked Test side for the very first time in their cricket history after finishing off the formalities on Day 4 of the Wellington Test against West Indies. Only decimal points separate the No.2 Black Caps and their neighbours Australia at the top. 

The visitors could only add a further 73 runs to their overnight score of 244/6 following-on and faced another innings defeat. 

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With their win, the Black Caps completed a 2-0 series whitewash over the Calypso Kings, who now haven't won a Test on the Kiwi shores since 1995. The home team bagged full 120 points towards the ongoing World Test Championship cycle. 

Jason Holder, the West Indies skipper, had dragged the game to the penultimate day with a fine half-century (61), but he fell just eight balls into the start after the 20-minute rain-delay got over and with that ended all hopes of any further resistance from the tourists. 

Tim Southee (2/96) and Neil Wagner (3/54) went past the West Indies lower-order after Trent Boult (3/96) and Kyle Jamieson (2/43) had laid the foundation to an earlier finish. 

In the first innings, Southee (5/32) and Jamieson (5/34) had shared the honours in dismissing the visitors for just 131 after the Kiwis themselves posted a huge score of 460. 

In absence of regular skipper and their best batsman, Kane Williamson, the Black Caps found a hero in Henry Nicholls, whose outstanding knock of 174 was integral to the hosts reaching beyond the 450-mark, with healthy contributions at the other end from Will Young (43), Daryl Mitchell (42) and Wagner (66*). 

Across two bowling efforts at the Seddon Park and Basin Reserve, West Indies' longstanding issues stood exposed as they showed unaffordable inconsistency with line and lengths on surfaces that did offer them help. 

Brief scores: 

New Zealand 460 in 114 overs (Henry Nicholls 160; Shannon Gabriel 3-93) beat West Indies 131 in 56.4 overs (Jermaine Blackwood 69; Tim Southee 5-32, Kyle Jamieson 5-34) & 317 in 79.1 overs (John Campbell 68, Jason Holder 61, Joshua Da Silva 57; Neil Wagner 3-54) by an innings and 12 runs