Rampant England pummel New Zealand

England romped to a second comfortable victory over New Zealand in two weeks to secure a test series triumph on Sunday with skipper Ben Stokes apparently enjoying a Midas touch with his every decision turning to gold.

Stokes delivered the coup de grace at Wellington's Basin Reserve himself, coming on to take the last three wickets at a cost of five runs to dismiss New Zealand for 259 and wrap up the 323-run victory with more than two days to spare.

Seamers Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson all played crucial roles in the victory, the latter with a rare hat-trick on Saturday to help scuttle New Zealand's first innings for 125.

Shoaib Bashir stepped up to remove Tom Blundell after the New Zealand wicketkeeper had marshalled the home rearguard with a defiant 115 on a surface that rarely offers anything for spinners this early in the season.

With the bat, the controversial selection of Jacob Bethell at number three paid dividends in only his second test with an innings of 96, while Ollie Pope thrived with a key knock of 66 despite being dropped down the order as stand-in wicketkeeper.

Most of all, it was the brilliant innings of 123 from Player of the Match Harry Brook on a tricky surface that laid the foundation for England's biggest win by runs over the Black Caps, and a first series triumph in New Zealand since 2008.

On Sunday, England had resumed on a blustery morning on 378-5 looking to quickly inflate their already imposing lead of 533 before sending the Blacks Caps in to bat.

Stokes was at the crease with Joe Root, who had been short of runs and is perhaps the least natural player of the "Bazball" style of aggressive batting England have played under coach Brendon McCullum.

Class is permanent, however, and the prolific 33-year-old even showed a real flash of creativity to secure his 36th test century with a glorious reverse-ramp for four off seamer Will O'Rourke.

After Root edged behind for 106, Stokes, who was unbeaten on 49, immediately declared for 427-6 to present the Blacks Caps with a mammoth target of 583.

Woakes did the early damage to the New Zealand order by bowling the hapless Devon Conway for a five-ball duck and having Kane Williamson caught behind off a thin edge for four.

The impressive Carse chipped in with a brilliant caught-and-bowled dismissal of Latham for 24 before giving Pope more catching practice behind the stumps to remove Rachin Ravindra for six.

The third test in Hamilton starts on Saturday.