1 Remember the dibbly dobblers? They used to nab a lot of wickets in New Zealand conditions. We had a team full of them. Read the likes of Gavin Larsen, Scott Styris and Nathan Astle. Military medium-pacers nagging away on a line and length and waiting for the pitch to do the work. But eventually administrators worked out the game might be improved by producing better pitches. The bowlers suddenly had to work a lot harder, and they still do. The result is a large stable of quality fast bowlers who can take wickets in tough conditions.
2 Mike Hesson’s first major move after taking over the coaching reins was to promote Brendon McCullum to captain. Of course, that meant sacking Ross Taylor and the decision courted a lot of controversy. The late Martin Crowe set fire to his New Zealand cricket blazer in protest. McCullum was a very different type of leader to Taylor. His bold and fearless approach gelled with the team and that bubbled over into belief. And you have to have belief in a completely mad game like cricket.
3 Ouch. McCullum’s first test in charge could not have gone worse. The Black Caps were bowled out for 45 by South Africa in Newlands. That horrific innings could have sparked off a destructive round of in-fighting and bickering. McCullum was able to pull the group together, however. A lot of honest conversation took place and the "oh no" moment proved to be an "a-ha" moment. The team moved forward with one resolve — to earn back the respect of the fans.
4 The country fell back in love with the Black Caps during the 2015 World Cup. The home side swept through pool play undefeated. The eight-wicket annihilation of England was an incredible highlight. Baz went berserk, whacking 77 from 25 deliveries. But Tim Southee set up the win with seven for 33 in a wonderful display of swing bowling. The tense one-run win against Australia was memorable as well. But Grant Elliott stole the show when he hit South Africa’s Dale Steyn over his head for six to clinch a four-wicket win from the penultimate ball of the semifinal. The final against Australia was a massive anticlimax but the process of getting there topped up Black Caps’ confidence.
5 South Africans. We love them. Grant Elliott. Neil Wagner. Devon Conway. All Kiwi as. And they have all helped make New Zealand great again.
6 New Zealand domestic cricket does not enjoy a high profile but it is much, much stronger than people give it credit for. There are just six major associations, so the talent pool is concentrated and the competition is fierce. Put simply, it is the reason there is unprecedented depth in New Zealand cricket. That is plainly evident when you have guys like Daryl Mitchell who have handled the step up to international level with aplomb.
7 Karma. The universe owed the Black Caps after they were robbed of a shared title during the 2019 World Cup. England got the spoils on a boundary countback. But it was another opportunity for the Black Caps to experience the big stage and that served them well in the T20 World Cup semifinal earlier yesterday morning New Zealand time.
8 Ultimately, professional sport comes down to winning. It is the only progress that really counts. The Black Caps finally shed the valiant losers’ tag with victory against a powerhouse Indian side in the World Test Championship final. They’ve got the Mace, and the confidence that comes with that can be wielded like a weapon.
9 Black Caps spearheads Trent Boult and Tim Southee played in that WTC final and they have been instrumental in the rise since the debacle at Newlands in 2013. They have more than 600 test wickets between them. Individually they are superb. Together they are golden.
10 Mr Kane Williamson. He is a once-in-a-generation player. So focused. So very, very focused. Born to bat and a calculating leader.
11 Phil Hughes’ death in November 2014 put cricket in perspective. He died after being struck by a bouncer and no-one felt like playing the game for a while. But the test between the Black Caps and Pakistan went on regardless and McCullum paid the Australian cricketer the best kind of respect with an utterly bonkers innings. He flayed 202 from 188 balls — partly in anger, perhaps, but it was also an expression of everything so beautiful about his game. He played with no fear and it gave his team-mates the inspiration to play that way too.
