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As countless articles are written about the demise of Australian cricket, across the ditch in beautiful New Zealand the Black Caps are quietly going about their business.
They have just risen to third in the world in test cricket. That’s right…third. Let’s put that into context. As of this very second, New Zealand only trails India and England in the ICC Test cricket rankings. They are above South Africa who are fourth and Australia who are fifth.
Not only can the land of the long white cloud field a ridiculously good rugby union team, they now have an exceptional cricket team as well.
Recent results
Dating back to 2016, the Black Caps have won a staggering five out of six Test series they have played. That remarkable run does include some wins against modest opposition.
This includes the recent 1-0 series home win over Sri Lanka and a home series win against Bangladesh. In fact, if they had beaten Sri Lanka in both tests they would have risen to second in the rankings. If it wasn’t for some stubborn Sri Lankan batting in the first test, this would have been achieved.
Pair this with some incredible away victories against both England and Pakistan (in the United Arab Emirates) and you have a team looking to place themselves as the best test side New Zealand has ever produced. The series win against Pakistan in the UAE was the first series win against Pakistan in 49 years.
The Black Caps inflicted only the second series loss the Pakistanis have experienced since playing their test cricket out of the UAE. The only series New Zealand have lost since 2016 was a cracking three-match series against South Africa in South Africa with a credible 1-0 defeat.
The players
Currently, New Zealand have two players inside each of the ICC’s Test cricket bowling and batting top ten. Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls are numbers 2 and 7 in the batting chart. These two are consistently chalking up big scores.
What Australian cricket would pay for Williamson or Nicholls to jump ship right now would be big money indeed. They have a dangerous pair of quicks in Trent Boult and Tim Southee, numbers 7 and 9 in the bowling list respectively. The New Zealand first XI then has four world-class players in it, something almost unheard of since the turn of the century.
(AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Throw in the development of some exciting spinners including Ajaz Patel and the New Zealand squad is looking balanced and capable of playing in any set of conditions around the world.
Captain Kane Williamson has much to do with the rise. Being handed the captaincy in 2016 after the retirement of Brendon McCullum, Williamson has taken New Zealand cricket to a new level in all formats. They are also third in One Day Internationals.
Williamson’s numbers are exceptional and he is rightly being labelled the best batsman New Zealand has produced since Martin Crowe. This might be selling him short, after 70 tests he is in that rare territory of averaging over 50 with the bat at 51.13. He has a highest score of 242 not out and 19 centuries to his name.
At the age of 28, he has many years ahead of him and will undoubtedly retire as the best cricketer New Zealand has produced. His captaincy is usually positive and attacking. His leadership style is improving each series he leads the Black Caps onto the field with players clearly enjoying playing under him.
What’s next?
2019 will give the Black Caps the opportunity to make it six out of seven test series wins with a home series against Bangladesh in March. Then a two-Test away series against Sri Lanka this July has the real possibility of seven victories from eight series.
It gets tougher from there with another away series against England at the end of the year. If a magic wand was available for ICC scheduling, then a five-Test series between Australia and New Zealand sometime this year would be sensational. Throw Daivd Warner, Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith back into the Aussie team and a real Trans-Tasman war of cricket would be on.
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