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.
Dickie Doodle
Guest
Good on the Black Caps in the way they're playing. As an Australian being half a Kiwi on my Morther's side, I actually prefer watching them as they don't have any of that arrogance or the "ugly Australian" mentality with winning. A classic example was the last World Cup final, that was an embarrassment the way the players (including Warne) were behaving. The Black Caps can also be frustrating at times to watch when they will have a small lapse in judgment which costs them a game. I can understand why Smithie gets frustrated in the commentary box at times with them. What impressed me this year with them was the way they beat Pakistan in the UAE after being completely flogged and outplayed by them in the 1st test.
Basil
Guest
Some of those ICC rankings are interesting, and while NZ are doing very well I don't think they are objectively a better test team than South Africa. But if anyone wants to argue why they are please go ahead it would make for a good discussion!
Bobbo7
Guest
A pace bowler short? No Fleming for me. He should have averaged 45 plus but just got out too often after a start.
Watcher
Guest
Does that apply to Aussie batting collapses as well now sandpaper isnt team equipment?
danno
Guest
Wright Turner Williamson M Crowe Fleming (c) Taylor C Cairns McCullum wk Hadlee Vettori Bond
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
How many times do you have to hit the Enter key to ensure adequate spacing between paragraphs?
Watcher
Guest
Bert Sutcliffe. If only for his role in that 1953 test. One of if not the greatest example of the humanity of sport.
bobbo7
Guest
Lyons, Cummins...maybe Starc though he I is out of form
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The only reason New Zealand are highly ranked is that highly questionable collapse by Pakistan when victory was almost certain and no doubt the bookmaker odds were extremely generous.
Atawhai Drive
Roar Guru
My NZ team _ of all time, not since 1970 _ would be (in approximate batting order): Glenn Turner Stewie Dempster Kane Williamson Martin Crowe Martin Donnelly John R Reid (c) Brendon McCullum (wk) Daniel Vettori Richard Hadlee Shane Bond Jack Cowie What? I’ve just participated in a selection debate! What is the point of ironclad rules if you don’t obey them?
Watcher
Guest
Big call guys like Wright Edgar Howarth Jones Congdon Burgess Smith Wadsworth Bracewell Collinge off the top of the head
bobbo7
Guest
My team exactly. I did this the other day and came up with the exact same lineup - had Cairns batting 6 and Watling 7. That is a good team. Openers that can go big, a very solid 3-5 and genuinely bats to 9 - Hadlee with an average of 21 in his era was no mug with the bat. Bond, Hadlee, Boult - what a side. Notable absences were Bert Sutcliffe, Andrew Jones,
Cantab
Guest
My all time NZ test xi since 1970 would be: Glen Turner Tom Latham Kane Williamson Martin Crowe Ross Taylor BJ Waitling Chris Cairns Richard Hadlee Daniel Vettori Shane Bond Trent Boult Point of the story, 5/11 are currently playing.
Watcher
Guest
A combined Kiwiroo team is just a good pub argument. Hard to really judge Aussie without Smith in particular. What can be taken is the mindset of key batsmen. Williamson Latham and Watling have shown they will bat time. Watling only seems to score when the team is in the poo. A good quality to have. I had to laugh when I saw a couple of your batsmen sent to BBL to play some innings. A contradiction in terms surely. A few of these blokes being taught that hard headed like Allan Border relates to refusing to fail rather than sledging. My personal opinion is players who are averaging in the 40s in 1st class are those that should be selected whichever team.
Caddyshack
Roar Rookie
Agreed, there seems to be too many 2 test series for the black caps.
peeeko
Roar Guru
3 australians?
buttery
Roar Rookie
Bet the Kiwis are cursing their luck that they haven't had a series scheduled against Australia whilst Smith & Warner are suspended, would have been the perfect opportunity to finally kick Aussie butt.
Lara
Guest
The Black Caps have been fortunate to have had two very good captains in Mc Callum n now Williamson. The team is sound with a solid core, not flashy but very workmanlike.
bobbo7
Guest
Golden era for NZ. McCullum and previous coach Hesson did a great job in changing the team. Williamson is a gun. 19 Test tons and he has got out in the 90s a few times as well - not due to pressure but because he just bats the same in the 90s as he does in the 60s - a very unselfish player. He also averages something like 64 in second innings. Of the big 4 young guns in the world, he is the only one that bats 3 as well. Taylor, Latham, Watling, Boult, Southee are all good players and Nicholls is finally starting to show he can bat. Right now I reckon about 3 Australians would make the combined NZ / Australian XI which was unthinkable a few years ago. With Smith and Warner out I'm not sure I would pick any of the Aussie top 6 over the NZ top 6. Watling over Paine too. Exciting times for us long suffering fans - can't wait for the Australian series this year - should be a cracker with Australia's players back.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Been following the Black Caps, the Young Guns and New Zealand Cricket in all its guises for as long as I've been watching rugby. Rugby has usually been the better watch. Richard Hadlee's feats in that series win Australia in the 80's along with Crowe's emergence as a world class batsman, was a treat indeed. But success back then fluctuated wildly, especially if Paddles wasn't playing. And it has since to an extent. Fleming led a team full of potential and they did have some moments. BUT...McCullum and then Williamson have changed the way we address cricket; we have seen slow, sometimes stumbling, improvement but improvement nonetheless and now we are converting away wins. The other factor that has often been missing from our sides can be summed up as depth. Matt Henry can't even get on the pitch and he led the English County season in wickets/average last season. There is genuine talent waiting in the wings and when selection becomes a little bit of a headache, that's significant for NZ Cricket. My only complaint would be the lack of more lengthy Test Series against the Top teams and can only hope that our recent successes across all formats means this will change...