Lyon roars as Australia crush New Zealand to sweep series

Nathan Lyon captured five for 50 and 10 match wickets as Australia crushed New Zealand by 279 runs on Monday, capping a golden domestic summer as y swept three-Test series. off-spinner led powerful Australian bowling attack to dismiss Kiwis for 136 and seal ar heavy win over Black Caps after similar victories in Perth and Melbourne.

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Australia's dream home summer

Australia have been unbeatable this season, winning all five Tests at home -- two against Pakistan and three against New Zealand -- after retaining Ashes by drawing series 2-2 in England.

"It's been a great summer for Australian Test side," Lyon said. "It's pretty special to be part of it, we have been impressive, pretty clinical, batters have done well and given us bowlers plenty of time."

Australia declared ir second innings at 217 for two with David Warner scoring an unbeaten century, leaving Black Caps with a revised 416-run target in fourth innings on a wearing Sydney Cricket Ground pitch. But Kiwis buckled under pressure of Australia's superior bowling attack with Mitchell Starc taking three for 25 to support wiles of spinner Lyon.

"y were clinical in all areas and after first match y put us under pressure session after session," said skipper Kane Williamson, who missed Test with a virus. New Zealand were reeling early at 27-4 and never recovered after Starc and Lyon took two wickets each in middle session to put skids under tourists. Starc removed both openers, Tom Latham and Tom Blundell, in first five overs. Blundell fell to a stunning catch by a diving Lyon at point for two and stand-in skipper Latham lost a review for leg before wicket.

Jeet Raval was out in a review to faintest of edges on 'Snicko' in Lyon's first over for 12. First-innings top-scorer Glenn Phillips went for a duck after techlogy detected a faint outside edge to wicketkeeper Paine off Lyon.

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Taylor's Kiwi record 

Ross Taylor became leading all-time Kiwi batsman, going past Stephen Fleming (7,172) before he was bowled by Pat Cummins for 22 to take his Test aggregate to 7,174. Big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme smacked Lyon for six to bring up his fifty but went next ball hoicking to Joe Burns at deep mid-wicket for 52. Todd Astle was out to a superb diving catch by James Pattinson in outfield for 17.

Starc yorked William Somerville's middle stump for seven and BJ Watling was last to fall, caught at backward square leg by Pat Cummins for 19. Earlier, Warner completed his 24th Test century and remained unbeaten when skipper Paine declared upon dismissal of Marnus Labuschagne. "You kw you're capable of doing so," Warner said when asked about how he had bounced back from his disastrous Ashes campaign in England last year."I was in nets hitting ball well and had skipper backing me. To be able to play with freedom helped me. It's all paying off."

Labuschagne, who was dropped on four in a regulation caught-and-bowled chance by leg-spinner Astle, was caught at long-on off Matt Henry for 59 -- his seventh score over 50 in eight innings this domestic summer. Labuschagne finished home five-Test season with a stunning aggregate of 896 runs, made up of his 215 in first innings, three or centuries and three half-centuries in eight innings.

re was drama late in Australian innings when Warner was given an official warning by umpire Aleem Dar for running down middle of pitch in scampering a single. It resulted in five penalty runs being added to New Zealand's first innings total meaning ir target was revised down from 421 to 416. Test was played against backdrop of one of Australia's most devastating bushfire seasons with at least 24 people losing ir lives in blazes raging across country, including on outskirts of Sydney. 

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