The all black streak that has nothing to do with rugby

Posting from South Africa where we have a wonderfully competitive sporting set up with NZ. , they hold the upper hand in rugby and in netball but not in cricket . But ......we fully respect the Black Caps . Always a tough task.

Yeah completely agree. It sucks but you have to pay the bills. I see domestic Women’s T20 games in Australia have been pulling larger crowds the cumulative 5 days of either of the West Indies tests. Puts the formats in perspective in terms of $$.

It's purely a financial decision and this year they have said they deliberately trying to build depth for upcoming World Cup but I think it stinks as do all the kiwi commentators over there.

That was two years ago - like I said - here and now Ronan in a test series.

1986 win was in England.

Com'on Ronan you can't deny that the net-wickets being prepared in Australia in recent years have certainly helped good batting averages - not just for Australian batsmen - that doesn't mean they didn't play well - but the roads being prepared in Australia are so silly now even Shane Warne is sick to death of them and argues something needs to be done. As Warnie says- even Sydney doesn't turn like it used to on day 4 and 5 and as for Perth - it is nothing like it used to be. Not so long ago Denis Lillie asked that the ACB get Perth back to it glory days of real pace and bounce and set about trying to make it happen - seems the TV dollar was even too powerful for him to compete with. And the Poms didn't help the call for change by sending over a side missing key players like Stokes - players past their consistent best and bowlers and batsmen who are not test quality like Ali and Woakes - and then the prospects still learning their craft and guys like Broad who has lost a ton of pace making him fairly ineffective. Anderson was the only real consistent threat in their attack. Yes Australia played well but that was not high quality Ashes opposition and didn't justify three tests let alone four - and the Kiwi's will make short work of the poms as well I suspect in NZ the way they are playing and the English side the way they are playing, though Stokes is now going to play which will help. England will probably play better - at least their attack, which has some new blood in it after the Ashes failure, because in NZ , the ball swings there like it can in England and they still at least prepare the odd green-top and with the swinging conditions make its genuinely competitive longer between bat and ball. Rain effected matches is NZ's biggest problem.

When Australia played Tests in NZ two years ago they absolutely dominated with the bat - in their three innings they made 562 then 505 and finally 3-201.

True, though It's the NZC that’s against playing test matches, more so than the ICC. We often shorten a test series to play additional shorter format games.

I am not sure I would argue that Australia are clearly the better team - in test cricket you can have that argument - but sure as hell not ODI and definitely not T20. So I do not buy that argument at all. And the last time NZ toured Australia one test was drawn one Australia won well and the third under lights was in the balance for a long time time - and they are a better side now than they were then. I would like to see a four test series in NZ between the two sides here and now. Warner's record in NZ against the swinging new ball is nothing to write home about for a start. It would make an interesting series I think.

No more or less silly than the Williamson carries NZ comment, just pointing out the facts that NZ has spread its talent more in 2017 than Australia. The Batting rankings also support this (taken over a longer time frame. Both NZ and Aus have 2 in the top 15 NZ had 3 in both ODI and T20 Aus only 2. Australia clearly the better cricket team, but the myth that NZ relies too heavily on Williamson is not true. As for comparing home averages, NZ wickets aren't the roads Australia has played in the last couple of seasons either. Every team except England, that has toured both countries has returned a lower batting average in NZ than Australia.

Their tour of England in 2015 was a great series. If only it had been more than two Tests!

As a Test team I think NZ peaked a couple of years ago when McCullum was hammering tons for fun and Southee was at his best. There's some young talent in Latham and Santner but they are definitely rebuilding to an extent. It's going to be difficult for them to build a lot of momentum over the next couple of seasons because of the deplorably small amount of Tests they're going to play. It's a huge shame because Williamson, Taylor, Boult, Watling and Wagner are fantastic Test cricketers and they could really build a quality team around them if only they hadn't been so badly let down by scheduling.

NZ have been an excellent limited overs side for several years now, and I think they're now arguably back to being as good as they were circa 2015, which was the best Kiwi ODI side I'd ever seen. I think they have a golden opportunity next month to win their first Test series against England since 1999, which would also be their first victory over the Poms in NZ since 1986. Since that win in 1986, NZ have won only 1 of 13 series against England.

Wal that's a misleading apples-and-oranges comparison considering NZ didn't play a single Test away from home last year while Australia played 6 in Asia. A fairer comparison, then, would be the NZ batting figures in 2017 vs the Australian batting figures at home in 2017. In which case five Aussies - Smith, Warner, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh and Handscomb - all averaged above 50, and that's not even including Renshaw who made 184 in his only Test innings in Australia in 2017.

Yes, very exciting times. By far the best we have ever been at T20 and ODI cricket, very few weakness, other than some depth in issue in the top order – but okay when everyone is fit. The Test side is probably as strong as it’s ever been too, but unfortunately we are short a #5 test batsmen, a spinner who can take wickets and an all-rounder who can play away from home. The England test series should be brilliant, my only fear is that their bowlers will perform well on our green tops. Oh…. plus they will have that Ben Stokes fella, who is apparently better than Bradman, more accurate than McGrath, reverses the ball more than Wasim and much faster than Lee ever was.

Ross Taylor? you know the guy that has the highest tests innings in Australia of any overseas player in test history 297 from memory, and scored 97 and a ton against the Windies in the recent series. The kiwis have found a strong opening test pair with the Indian born Ravel 44.50 average - early days but he is old school opener who knows how to leave in partnership with Tom Latham and Henry Nichols was a huge prospect as a teenager and is now at last proving he is test quality at 5 - he had a slow start which affected his average 35.5 but he looks the goods now and is a good ODI player as well. Colin de Grandhomme is a strong all rounder at 6 as well, and Watling ( when fit) is highly regarded wicket keeper batsmen and the guy who filled in for him scored 100 on debut. The let down in line up is Mitchel Santner who has talent but hasn't kicked on as batsmen but is a decent spinner but he needs runs for sure as spinners Ish Sohdi and Todd Astle ( who can bat) are licking his heels I don't like Santner in the test side because his batting is not going forward and he has a lot of time, but in the ODI and T20 - absolutely. I think Astle should be given regular go as he can bat and his leg spin is way ahead of where it was two years ago and he looks go now. NZ is ranked no1 in the world in T20 - has the no1 T20 batsman ( Munro) who is the only player in the game to have scored three international T20 centuries - plus the no1 ranked T20 bowler in Ish Sohdi. They are ranked 4 in the ODI 's -one above Australia right now and fourth in test cricket - one below Australia - so across all three formats NZ actually has the better team rankings on average right here and now. So yes, they definitely have very good side, and in form, at the moment across all formats. Australia are 7th in ODI's and its not like there best players don't play tons of T20 cricket across the globe like the IPL and in competitions like the Big Bash etc. It is just not a format they perform consistently well in , in recent times. Maybe they just don't have the side at the moment perhaps. New Zealand has developed some depth in the last 18 months by deliberately rotating one or two key players like Boult or Southee and even Williamson and Taylor in the ODI's and T20's.. Apart from the class of Southee and Boult and in test cricket Neil Wagner, they also have two of the consistently quickest bowlers in the world in Adam Milne ( when fit) and Lockie Ferguson who got it a 154.3k in an over that only had one ball below 149k the other week Waqar Yonus, commentating with Pakistan,is hugely impressed with Ferguson, saying he hits the deck just about harder than anyone he has seen - and he has seen some of the best including himself of course - with, as he said, seriously consistent pace during an over that will trouble any player and is accurate. It won't be long before he is a regular test player one feels but he is in the ODI run on side. In the series so far I think he split about 4 or 5 Pakistani bats already. But he is seriously quick once he gets going and he can swing the red ball late like Bond used to as well but is not injury prone like Adam Milne. I am looking forward to the English test but also the T20 tri-series between NZ, Australia and England coming up. As the no1 side in the world and with the no1 ranked T20 bowler and No5 ( Santner) and no1 batsmen, NZ fully deserve to be favourites and that is fair enough. It would be disingenuous not to give them the favourites tag as the world best ranked T20 side even if begrudgingly fro some :) Guptil and Munro are a devastating opening pair, and Guptil, who has just came back from a long break due to injury, is now with Munro, in blistering form. Will be interesting to see how England and Australia handle the two Kiwi openers because either one can annihilate any T20 attack in double quick time just on their own. South African born, perpetual gum chewing Munro, doesn't mind getting pretty lippy with bowlers either if he starts carting them, usually explaining to them how well they are bowling, that sort of conversation, and always smiling back at them - he knows how to get under their skin that is for sure and enjoys it - he averages over 50 in 1st class cricket so he no slouch with the bat - could get fun I reckon - looking forward to it. Next ODI is a must win for Australia - not sure about their spin attack to be honest and can't understand why Lyon isn't in the ODI side - I mean is a player like Zampa seriously that much better with the bat because he is not the wicket taking bowler Lyon would be over ten overs IMO? Can't figure that one out -makes no sense to me - in the T20 it does, but not the ODI's

quality of teams and home vs away games? silly comment

Test series against England will be telling. I see how you tried to sell England as a worthy opponent by referencing there 1 ODI win, however anything other then a resounding 2-0 win for NZ would be disappointing. If they don't beat England at home, NZ are as they have always been. Average.

Damn. Last time I read an article like this one, it was in the AFL section, and it was from a Richmond supporter who, like you, was trying not to jinx it but couldn't stay silent anymore either. Glad you're enjoying things.

I'm very keen to see how the Kiwis do against England in the Tests. The Poms are already carrying some baggage across the ditch and the NZ attack is as good as any going around when conditions suit. I reckon more English carnage could result.