SHANE WARNE completed another milestone in his sensational career as Australia achieved a stunning win over New Zealand in the first Test at Christchurch.

The Hampshire skipper took his 1,000 first class wicket yesterday as part of a 5-39 second innings haul as the Kiwis, who had rattled up 433 in their first innings, were routed for 131.

Australia, who had trailed by just one run on first innings thanks to centuries from Hampshire's Simon Katich (118) and Adam Gilchrist (121), won by nine wickets on the fourth day.

Warne has now taken 573 wickets in 121 Tests and yesterday maintained the stunning form he has showed in the Test arena since his return from a year-long ban for taking a banned drug in March 2004.

In his 14 Tests, starting in Sri Lanka, 12 months ago, the leg-spinning legend has bagged a startling 82 wickets.

"I am very happy with the way that the team and I have been playing in the last 12 months," said Warne.

"I don't think I have been as successful at any other stage of my career.

"I feel like I am bowling pretty well. I have done a lot of hard work on my fitness and I feel they (his deliveries) are coming out as good as ever."

Australia were in danger of surrendering a big first innings lead in Christchurch before No 7 bat Katich and No 8 Gilchrist put on 212 for the seventh wicket.

Then Warne helped complete a major turnaround.

"This was a fantastic Test match - New Zealand were ahead for most of the first three days but it was a great partnership between Gilly and Kato," said Warne.

"We were always back in the game after that and this morning we thought we had a big chance of knocking them over.

"It was a very good game of Test cricket."

Though Warne has now passed the 1,000 first class wickets milestone - he has also taken 413 one-day wickets - he admits such statistics do not bother him too much.

"Some people like to say how many wickets they can get but I am not one of those bowlers," he remarked.

"My job is to take as many wickets as I can to help the team.

"I don't set myself any personal goals like getting 600 or 700 wickets - I don't play for those sorts of things.

"Getting my 1000th first class wicket was a pretty big achievement and I will keep playing until the enjoyment stops, whenever that is.

"Not many people have done it (1,000 wickets) so I am very proud.

"I knew I needed a few wickets to get there in this Test match and it was a pretty good ball to get it too."

Katich, meanwhile, scored his second century in 14 Tests and as a result virtually cemented his place in the Ashes squad for this summer.

That means Hampshire will have to find overseas replacements for both himself and Warne from mid-July onwards.

Katich's only previous Test ton had been his 125 against India at Sydney in January 2004, though he was agonisingly dismissed for 99 against the same country at Nagpur in October.

"It was just nice to get back into the team and be named in the squad and play my part in helping us to get out of a bit of strife," he said.

"When I go to 91 Nagpur was on my mind quite vividly because it doesn't seem to have been that long ago, so I was trying to reach the 100 as quick as I could.

"The game situation made the innings very satisfying, but then your first (Test) hundred is also very special so it's hard to compare them."