Optimism is high around Aotearoa for the Blackcaps snatch and grab mission across the ditch, where they will take an Australian team who have also come to this moment in time with their Test cricket sussed out.
Brisbane Heat enjoyed some exceptional contributions from their leaders on finals weekend as the stormed to WBBL05 glory, don't overlook the steady work of young White Ferns Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr in their championship run though.
Oh what beautiful numbers. What wonders to behold. Five different players scored tons in three Blackcaps innings and of that immense top seven, all but one with averages above 40, five of them improved on those averages in this series.
Aotearoa's glorious Blackcaps have another Test series win in the books as the second Test in Hamilton sizzled and fizzled.
Unfortunately for Jeet Raval, his excursion into 'out of form' territory is juxtaposed against a Blackcaps Test team that has been dwelling in nice form for quite some time.
Yesterday there was a wee dive into some of the Ford Trophy bowlers who did nifty mahi in the first stanza, today it's all about the batsmen.
Finals in Women's Big Bash League are locked in for next week and after Brisbane Heat grabbed a win in their only game from the weekend, they'll be hosting the semi-finals and final.
The end of last week's Ford Trophy extravaganza in Christchurch also marked the end of the 2019 Ford Trophy first stanza as the domestic cricket planets make way for the Death Star overlord T20 thing.
The final weekend of Women's Big Bash League 05 will see Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates hunting for the top spot, ahead of the kiwi youngsters Maddy Green and Amelia Kerr.
The Blackcaps were 127/4 when BJ Watling strode to the crease at Mount Maunganui, trailing by over 200 runs in the first innings. When he was dismissed more than five sessions later the Blackcaps had an enormous lead and would go on to bowl England out in the final session of the match for a victory by an innings and 65 runs.
There's beauty in fresh faces breaking into domestic cricket and there is beauty in Aotearoa's best cricketers dropping down a level to dominate the local scene.
A steady flow of Test cricket in Aotearoa presents fresh challenges and the natural variable of injuries is going to add some funk to the Blackcaps Test team for their second Test against England.
The big bopper domestic cricketers are sizzling away in Ford Trophy, although the big bopper team is yet to grab a win.
Test cricket is glorious. That's the taste left after the Blackcaps defeated England in Tauranga to spark up the kiwi summer and while this may not have been so glorious had the Blackcaps not won, the past five days were still a lovely showcase of our favourite activity.
Although batting may have appeared rather easy in the first Test between Aotearoa and England as BJ Watling plodded along, the lingering danger of getting a spicy bit of action off the pitch remained throughout the Blackcaps batting innings.
The rise of Lockie Ferguson may be the most exciting little kiwi cricket tale of the moment and thus, there has been a sharp spotlight placed on Ferguson and his possible role in the Blackcaps Test team.
Auckland Aces are the only unbeaten team in Ford Trophy, assisted by the presence of Lockie Ferguson in yesterday's win over Central Districts Stags.
There is a certain level of status-quo in a kiwi summer where touring Test cricket nations from Asia tend to be bullied by Aotearoa's Blackcaps.
The two teams with two kiwis sit 1st and 2nd on the WBBL05 ladder, but this is kinda still the Sophie Devine show.
Auckland Aces and Otago Volts grabbed first round wins in the Ford Trophy, while a couple big centuries headlined the scratched contest between Canterbury and Central Districts Stags.