I hope the skies over Southampton were clear enough for the full moon to peak through and illuminate celebrations for the Blackcaps. The full moon was with kiwis in their overnight mission of support and you'd imagine there would be a moment of magic as the Blackcaps venture out on to the Rose Bowl turf and saviour their last Test alongside BJ Watling ... plus World Test Championship glory.

Deep diving here on all them juicy stats that back up BJ Watling's legacy (and a few he might still add to in England) after everyone's favourite cricketing hobbit announced his impending retirement.https://t.co/qQvftXDKkG
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) May 12, 2021

We all know Aotearoa is the best sporting nation in the world.

The Blackcaps haven't always been key figures in Aotearoa's sporting excellence. There has always been world-class performers and Aotearoa produces world-class performers in every sport. Team success hasn't quite stuck with the Blackcaps and every slither of team success in the past decade has compounded on top of each other. Wins turned into series wins. Series wins turned into World Cup Finals. World Cup Finals turned into supreme domination of Aotearoa conditions against anyone who wanted smoke. Mastering cricket in Aotearoa turned into embarrassing England in England and in a quick flip, that became a World Test Championship Final win.

No surprise then that all the bits we have come to love about Kane Williamson's squad, were on display in this six-day bender. A reliable top-order (!!) did most of the batting mahi. The best kiwi bowlers of my lifetime did the bowling mahi. BJ Watling dislocated his finger and didn't give a fuck. Colin de Grandhomme represented strongly for all those who disagree with school or workplace rules around haircuts. Blackcaps fielding was supreme. Tactical decisions and adaptions were as crisp as ever. Luteru Taylor hit the winning runs

I don't know how often I've seen such a comprehensive team effort from this Blackcaps team though. Perhaps that's reason for this Test to be the best Test that this core group has played and to execute that against India, in a Test that was always going to be impacted by rain goes a long way to making up for less clutch performances elsewhere. In the moment here and now - past woes are washed away.

The skipper led the way in scoring the most runs of any batsman from either team. Williamson had scores of 49 and 52 which highlights the weird individual markers that cricket traditionally celebrates. Williamson's 52* on the path to victory as delightful and his 8 fours (32 runs) are a sign of a lovely Williamson knock as he littered the Rose Bowl carpet. Williamson's 49 in the first innings was probably more important though and within this is an insight to Williamson's Blackcaps; Williamson adapted to both situations perfectly.

The first innings saw the top-four batsmen amount for 144 of 249 runs. Latham's 30 and another slick knock from Devon Conway (54) set that up. The second innings didn't have Latham and Conway batting through the first 15 overs, yet their 13.3 over stand was enough to ensure that the top-four were the only batsmen required in the second dig. Thankfully for our nerves, the bowlers didn't need to try win this Test with the bat and yet they would have given it a crack...

India's last five batsmen combined for 45 and 37 runs. Aotearoa's last five batsmen were only required once and put up 71 runs together. Remember that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are selected for their spin bowling, as well as their genuine all-round Test status. Ashwin has five Test centuries with a Test average of 27.68, Jadeja has one Test century and an average of 35.44 and yet it was the kiwi bowlers who added the most juice to their batsmen's breakfast.

And shiver me timbers those bowlers did their main job well. Kyle Jamieson (batting average of 42.66) won the individual honour and we all know the arrivals of him and Conway have been majestic. This was a typically hearty team effort from the bowlers though as Jamieson finished with 7 wickets, Tim Southee finished with 5w, Trent Boult finished with 5w and Neil Wagner finished with 3w. Ponder the work of these four in the entire tour of England...

Southee: 83.1ov, 12w @ 16avg/2.30rpo.

Boult: 75.2ov, 11w @ 18.63avg/2.72rpo.

Jamieson: 87ov, 10w @ 17.40avg/2rpo.

Wagner: 101ov, 10w @ 28avg/2.77rpo.

Jamieson and Conway have bolstered the batting and bowling groups in ways we didn't even know were possible two years ago. Maybe that has rejuvenated the senior players, or maybe the senior players are just amazing cricketers who drive all improvements and team culture that presents the right conditions for new players to flourish. The arrival of Jamieson has Boult averaging 20.62 in 2021 and this is the best calendar year average of Boult's career since his one Test in 2011 with 20avg. This is Southee's third best calendar year of his career and 2020 was his best year.

Only three nations played 14 or more Tests in this World Test Championship and we all know who they are. England played 21 Tests and look how that's working out for them. India's 17 Tests and Australia's 14 Tests are a bit more reasonable. These are the three nations that apparently run Test cricket and have held back the growth of international cricket for their own self interests only for Aotearoa to flex all over them.

And for Aotearoa to flex all over the Test cricketing world. A quick check has Sri Lanka's population at 21.8 million and that's the lowest population base of all WTC nations apart from Aotearoa and West Indies. We've got the most high quality cricketers Aotearoa's ever had (check the T20 Blast) and our best cricketers match up against any other nation in the world thanks to their skill, but more so the grey area that can't be measured.

Some call grey areas magic. It can be team culture. Maybe it's a vibe. Whatever you perceive this intangible factor to be, it is deeply rooted in Aotearoa sport and this is why a little nation in the corner of the world can produce world-beating teams. It's why kiwi athletes can step into any team around the world and be effective. This is best on display in team environments though where the connective tissue between individuals becomes an asset and integral to success.

That's why Aotearoa is the best sporting nation in the world.

Hit an ad if you enjoyed the yarn. Peace and love.