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CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) Australia re-established itself as the No. 1 test cricket nation when it beat New Zealand by seven wickets on Wednesday, sweeping the series 2-0 and clouding commemorations of Brendon McCullum's last international match.
Joe Burns made 65 as the anchor of the innings and Steve Smith scored an unbeaten 53 as Australia reached its winning target of 201 four overs after lunch after resuming on the last day of the second test at 70-1.
Australia needed only a draw to win the two-match series and reclaim from India the top test ranking. Instead, it made its accession more emphatic by delivering a victory which followed its win by an innings and 52 runs in the first test.
Burns, who made 170 in the first innings, was out just before lunch as Smith claimed an extra 15 minutes in the first session in an effort to seal victory.
After batting conservatively for more than three hours, Burns was forced to go on the offensive and hit two consecutive fours before he was bowled by Trent Boult.
Usman Khawaja (45) was the only other wicket to fall Wednesday, caught by McCullum at slip from the bowling of Tim Southee for 45. The catch was McCullum's 198th in tests, a record for a New Zealander.
The New Zealand captain retired after this match, ending his international career at 34 after playing 101 consecutive tests, 260 one-day internationals and 71 Twenty20 internationals.
Australia had all but ensured by the end of the second day, when it was 70-1, that McCullum's last match would end in defeat. It needed a further 131 on Wednesday and Burns and Khawaja took it steadily towards that total, adding 64 for the second wicket.
Khawaja fell with the total at 113-2, with 88 runs still needed. Burns continued with skipper Smith, who tried to hurry Australia to its winning total and decided to claim the extra 15 minutes or four overs when his team was 169-2 at the scheduled lunch break, still needing 32 runs. Australia still needed 16 when the break was finally taken, but Adam Voges (10 not out) delivered the victory soon after lunch.
McCullum left a mark on his final match by scoring the fastest century in the history of test cricket, from 54 balls, during New Zealand's first innings of 370. But he saw his team concede a 135-run first innings lead when Australia replied with 505, including centuries to Burns and Smith.
McCullum was then out for 25 in his 176th and last test innings and New Zealand relied on Kane Williamson (97) and Matt Henry (66) to reach 335 and to set Australia a chase for 201 with four full sessions remaining.
Australia outplayed New Zealand in all departments throughout the series, ending its run of form at home: until the first test, New Zealand hadn't lost a test in New Zealand since 2012.
The series was almost decided on the first day of that Wellington when Australia won the toss and bowled, had New Zealand 51-5 after the first hour and eventually bowled it out for 185.
McCullum's century in Christchurch was the only century by a New Zealand batsman in its four innings in the series.
By comparison Voges (239 and 60), Burns (170 and 65), Khawaja (140) and Smith (138, 71 and 53 not out) all made substantial scores for Australia.
McCullum was also let down in his final series by his bowlers who couldn't replicate the form of their Australia counterparts, though the tourists' attack was depleted by the retirement of Mitchell Johnson, and injury to Mitchell Starc, the absence from the first test of James Pattinson and the absence in the second of Peter Siddle.
Boult took five wickets in the series and Southee three, while for Australia Josh Hazlewood had 10 at 30 and Jackson Bird eight at 28.
