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Australia and New Zealand should clash far more often

22nd February, 2015
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Brendon McCullum was - is - a leader of men. (AFP PHOTO / MARTY MELVILLE)
Expert
22nd February, 2015
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The dearth of cricket between Australia and New Zealand in recent years has been ridiculous. Six hundred and twenty one days – that’s how long it’s been since they last faced off in an ODI match.

Two – that’s how many ODIs the cross-Tasman rivals have played in the past five years.

Three years and two months – that’s the time which has elapsed since the most recent Test match between the sides.

Five years – that’s how long it’s been since Australia played a Test in New Zealand.

Meanwhile, in the past 19 months alone, Australia have encountered England in 13 ODIs and 10 Tests, with another smorgasbord of cricket coming up in just a few months during the next Ashes tour.

On Saturday we will finally get to see the Aussies and the Kiwis battle once more. It is the most eagerly-anticipated match of the World Cup to date, with Australia travelling to Eden Park in Auckland to clash with the Kiwis.

Australia are in commanding touch, having won 12 of their past 13 completed ODI games. New Zealand also are in striking form, with three straight wins to begin the tournament, including a phenomenal dismantling of England on Friday.

At Eden Park we will see whether this young Kiwi side can live up to the hype. Opposed to the intimidating Australia, who have been at or near the top of the ODI heap for 20 years, how will they react?

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It promises to be one of the most enthralling 50-over matches we have seen for many years. Part of the reason for that is the mystery element – we have no recent encounters between the sides to use as a form guide.

Hopefully we will not see another drought of cricket between the sides any time soon.

Granted, Test matches between Australia and New Zealand were a non-event for many years because of the Kiwis’ inability to even compete with their powerful rivals. There also were periods when New Zealand were a floundering ODI team incapable of challenging Australia.

But over the past 18 months the Kiwis have flourished and look set to only get better given the wealth of young talent at their disposal. Australia, too, look likely to continue to be one of the elite teams in Tests and ODIs for the foreseeable future.

The makings are there for a sensational era of competition between these two cricketing nations.

New Zealand may just have their best Test and ODI teams in their history. Not since Richard Hadlee was befuddling batsmen have they been such a force in world cricket.

The foundation of any great team is a potent pace attack and the Kiwis have the best young new ball pairing in the world in Trent Boult and Tim Southee, who are just 25 and 26 years old respectively.

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They have batting silk in the form of 30-year-old Ross Taylor and 24-year-old maestro Kane Williamson, who looks set to compete for the title of world’s best batsman in the years to come.

A natural and innovative leader can also lift a team to a different level and Brendon McCullum has done just that with his bold captaincy.

As a unit they match up very well with Australia in all formats. Beyond this World Cup, in which the two sides are among the top three favourites to win, there is a delectable summer of cricket shaping up in 2015-16.

Australia and New Zealand will play each other in six Tests in that season, with three matches in each country.

We should see some remarkable new rivalries form. Boult and Southee versus David Warner and Steve Smith. Josh Hazlewood versus Williamson. Nathan Lyon versus Taylor. Mitch Marsh versus Corey Anderson in an all-rounder showdown.

The next decade has the potential to be the greatest-ever era of the cross-Tasman rivalry.

Let’s hope cricket administrators ensure they are given frequent opportunities to match their talents against one another.

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