Wright happy with progress

New Zealand's challenge in their Test match with Zimbabwe was to match and improve on the effort that saw them beat Australia in Hobart in December and coach John Wright gave the side credit for achieving that in Napier.

The record win by an innings and 301 runs left New Zealand with three wins from their last four Tests, a rare array of success in what has been an arid time in Test cricket in recent years.

But there were still improvements required by the side. While the catching had been impressive, with Dean Brownlie snaring five in the match, there had been some sloppy batting on the first day but they had done enough to give a platform on the third morning and the bowlers had responded.

Evergreen Chris Martin had set the standard in the first innings especially and the young bowlers had stuck to their lengths and their line and they had taken the chances they needed too, Wright said.

BJ Watling's maiden century and a sound job with his wicketkeeping had been pleasing and demonstrated that with more work he was up to Test level in the gloveman's role.

"If we are to play this balance of side we need someone like him at No.7 producing runs," he said.

A factor in the bowling success was the example Martin was setting but also the education through success that was occurring.

"If they can commit the players forward, and if the track's doing a bit that's where they need to bowl so we expect discipline from our bowlers, we don't want them to go searching for wickets and that's probably the lesson they learned in Hobart," he said.

"Our next opposition [South Africa] is going to be a lot tougher. It's good to win here...but then we've got South Africa and that will be a very big challenge," he said.