New Zealand vs. Sri Lanka, 2014-15 1st Test: Day 4 Highlights, Scorecard, Report

New Zealand knocked off 105 runs on Day 4 of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch to cap the most successful year of Test cricket in their history.

The Black Caps have now won five Tests in the year—a remarkable return to form, capping the year with a series-tying win in Pakistan's adopted home of the United Arab Emirates, and now victory in home conditions.

Though they were made to wait for the win, it had been effectively sealed when Trent Boult and the seam attack skittled the tourists out for just 138 after Brendon McCullum smashed 195 runs from 134 balls on an extraordinary Day 1 knock.

Dimuth Karunaratne's second-innings 152 was a remarkable vigil, batting for just over eight hours, but when he fell Sri Lanka were still 25 runs short of making New Zealand bat again—a sign of how far behind the game they were.

Total	all out (154.0 ovs)	407
Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Karunaratne		b Boult	152	438	363
K Silva	c Watling	b Southee	33	139	106
Sangakkara	c Watling	b Boult	1	24	16
Thirimanne	c Watling	b Neesham	25	164	124
Mathews	c Watling	b Southee	66	178	127
Dickwella	c Neesham	b Boult	4	26	22
Kaushal	c Craig	b Southee	12	29	27
P Jayawardene	c Southee	b Craig	23	75	38
Prasad	c Taylor	b Southee	4	17	17
Eranga	not out		45	77	62
Lakmal	c Southee	b Boult	16	37	23
Extras	1nb 1w 4b 20lb	26
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Boult	39.0	8	100	4
Southee	37.0	8	91	4
Wagner	30.0	6	76	0
Craig	38.0	10	83	1
Neesham	8.0	2	29	1
B McCullum	1.0	0	3	0
Williamson	1.0	0	1	0

The tourists showed plenty of fight, and that continued through to Day 4. Boult and Tim Southee were getting the old ball to talk, swinging it both ways to cause plenty of troubles. Even when Angelo Mathews departed for a fighting 66, having top-edged an attempted hook, the visitors did not lie down.

The tail wagged, with Shaminda Eranga punching seven boundaries in an unbeaten knock of 45, while Suranga Lakmal hung around to swell the total by a further 59 runs in the final partnership.

That last resistance took Sri Lanka through to the lunch interval, leading by 104 runs, and knowing something extraordinary would be required for victory.

Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Total	for 2 (30.4 ovs)	107				107
Latham	c Mathews	b Kaushal	17	21	24	3
Rutherford	c Dickwella	b Eranga	10	43	24	1
Williamson	not out		31	97	75	0
Taylor	not out		39	75	63	6
Extras	2nb 2w 0b 6lb	10				10
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets		Overs
Lakmal	6.0	2	16	0		6.0
Kaushal	13.0	0	48	1		13.0
Eranga	7.0	2	20	1		7.0
Prasad	4.4	1	17	0		4.4

In the end, that did not materialise, but there was hope when a brisk opening partnership of 23 ended with Tom Latham edging Tharindu Kaushal's delivery through to the slips.

Hamish Rutherford followed for 10, caught in the gully.

The situation required cool heads—and perhaps as a result of having won so many games in recent months, New Zealand didn't panic.

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor set about the target at an even pace, and while it took just over 30 overs to get to the landmark, they did so. 

New Zealand go into 2015 well-placed to win this series, contenders on home soil in the World Cup, and on this form will give England a serious test early in the summer in 2015.