Australia has completed a 2-0 series sweep of New Zealand with a 176-run win in the second Test in Hamilton, wrapping up a dominant summer in which it won seven Test matches and drew an eighth.

Following a 2-0 win over West Indies, with the middle Test drawn in Adelaide, and a 3-0 sweep of Pakistan, the Australians arrived in New Zealand full of confidence.

The Black Caps were always up against it after Australia declared for 8 for 511 and set an intimidating fourth-innings chase of 479 that would have smashed the record books.

Resuming on 5 for 185 on the final day, New Zealand was unable to even reach the lunch break as Mitchell Johnson took three of the final five wickets to end the home side’s innings at 302.

That gave Johnson a 10-wicket haul for the match, the second time he has accomplished that feat in his Test career, with 6 for 73 in the second innings and 4 for 59 in the first.

On day four Johnson took three wickets to become the left-armer to have reached 150 dismissals in the fewest number of Tests.

Johnson was the undisputed star with the ball in this match, although Daniel Vettori gave himself something to remember from his 100th Test with four wickets and a run-out on the opening day.

That helped to skittle Australia for just 231 in its first innings, but the touring bowlers launched a stinging riposte and held New Zealand to 264 on day two.

Ross Taylor’s brilliant 138 defied the trend of batsmen struggling to negotiate a sluggish Seddon Park deck, and in doing so registered the fastest century in New Zealand Test history – reaching his ton from 81 balls.

Counterpart Simon Katich discovered the same potential in the surface that helped Taylor to a big score, and the left-hander patiently crafted a century – his 106 helped Australia to 4 for 333 at stumps on day three.

Belligerent batting from Michael Clarke (63), Marcus North (90) and Brad Haddin (48) piled on 178 runs in the morning session on Tuesday and Ricky Ponting declared at lunch, setting New Zealand the near impossible task of chasing down 479.

Standing in the Black Caps’ way, besides a wearying pitch and the red-hot form of Johnson, was history; the highest ever fourth-innings chase in Hamilton was the 6 for 344 Sri Lanka compiled to force a draw in 1991.

And with a further 135 runs required on top of that, Ponting led his men to the middle on the final day confident of applying the final touches to a memorable summer.

Doug Bollinger (2 for 87) struck first to end Brendon McCullum’s stand on 51 and then scalped Jeetan Patel for 3, before Johnson finished the job before lunch.

Johnson claimed the key wicket of Martin Guptill for 58, before having Brent Arnel (0) caught behind and finally Tim Southee caught at point for 45 by Clarke.

With an Ashes series looming at the end of the year Australia will take great confidence from its Test form with three consecutive series wins, albeit against sides all ranked in the bottom four of the world standings.