Black Caps Black Book .../Diary - Test Review + Crystal Ballin'
Test cricket, more importantly the Black Caps playing Test cricket. Just as we finish the warm up, getting in to the five day grind of watching the best form of cricket, it's all over. This two Test series against Sri Lanka was simply squeezed in to get some Test cricket in before the World Cup and with the World Cup just around the corner we head in to the mandatory diet of 50 over cricket.
The Black Caps will name their 15 man World Cup squad today and I'll share some thoughts on that tonight, but I've gotta give this Test series some loving.
For me, the series and the way the series played out was a perfect reflection of the situation. It's hard to judge the Sri Lankans on two Test's in very foreign conditions and it's probably telling that the best batsmen, one of the best batsmen in the world was the only lad to genuinely figure things out from Test to Test. To expect the rest of the Sri Lankan team to show the same improvements as Kumar Sangakkara would be unrealistic, hence the Black Caps won 2-0.
Did we really learn that much from this series? Not really as it followed the same path as last summer's Test cricket with the Black Caps defending their home turf valiantly both on the front foot and then when they were put under pressure, they showed plenty of resolve. Just as India had the Black Caps in a precarious position at the Basin Reserve last summer, Sri Lanka did the same and we saw a similar result. Guess the common factor of BJ Watling is the key there, BJ!
We still have three super high quality batsmen, even though Ross Taylor had a quiet series.
We still have the two best young seam and swing bowlers in world cricket.
We're still one of the best fielding teams.
We've seen that Mark Craig offers plenty with his off spin, Ish Sodhi will have to ramp up his performances to feature in England.
We've seen that Doug Bracewell is back in action and keen. Love that.
But we still haven't seen the best from an opening pair.
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I think the biggest thing about this series against Sri Lanka is that we won both Test's. Usually we might play well but not well enough and end up with two shitty draws.
We still have one of the most aggressive, win hungry skippers and I bloody love it.
Aotearoa should be a tough place to play cricket in. If you come here, you're going to be put under pressure and tested. That's the best thing about this as there's a strong likelihood that the Black Caps will be a bit up and down on the road, but as long as the backyard is in order then the foundations are set.
The next time we see the Black Caps play Test cricket, they'll be in England. That's exciting for a few reasons as we'll be the 'warm up' for the Ashes, yup you and me both want to see the Black Caps show England what's up.
But it will be tough, England will be eager to put the past few months behind them and show their fans that they are still a cricketing powerhouse. They still have the players to do so and there will be a strong focus from the English punters on how England perform, not so much what the Black Caps offer.
Now that my friends is why I have the tingle, well I've got a double dose as the World Cup has me in a spin but this tour of England is marked on the calender for sure. England will be keen to go to war and do whatever it takes to get a few wins and some momentum, which means that the Black Caps will have to go to a new level to win some Test's.
The underdog? The young upstart? The little brother? It's a Kiwi story and it could go down in history.