Debriefing New Zealand's Return To Reality In Test Cricket After Being Thumped By England
An English dose of reality has smoked Blackcaps and it serves as a word of warning for New Zealand Cricket with White Ferns hosting Australia for an ODI series later this month. The kiwi cricket whirlwind was rectified with a series sweep in India for the Blackcaps and White Ferns winning the T20 World Cup, although it seems as though that phase of success was a blip on a gloomy radar.
Slide back a month or so and Blackcaps followed up a horrible T20 World Cup with a 0-2 Test series defeat in Sri Lanka. White Ferns were 2-13 in T20Is played from the start of last summer leading into the T20 World Cup. That was low point for Aotearoa cricket, one of the most notable low points of recent times as the same woes stretched across both teams.
We were graced with delightful success for a couple weeks, before Blackcaps returned to normal service. Blackcaps have lost home Tests in four consecutive summers, so fans should be familiar with the feeling of minimal home advantage. The losses against Australia last summer flow into the two losses against England and this means that Blackcaps have lost four consecutive home Tests.
Apparently, this is only the second time in Aotearoa's Test history that the Blackcaps have lost at least four home Tests in a row. The first time was across 1955/56 when New Zealand lost five Tests in a row and the second time is now.
Five losses in 1955/56
vs England by 8 wickets
vs England by innings and 20 runs
vs West Indies by innings and 71 runs
vs West Indies by innings and 64 runs
vs West Indies by 9 wickets
Four losses in 2024
vs Australia by 172 runs
vs Australia by 3 wickets
vs England by 8 wickets
vs England by 323 runs
It's also clear that Blackcaps stink against Brendon McCullum's England Test team. Blackcaps are now 1-6 against England since McCullum took over as coach and the hefty defeat in Wellington continues the run over losses by 5+ wickets or 200+ runs. Of course, Aotearoa's win was by 1 run...
Loss by 5 wickets
Loss by 5 wickets
Loss by 7 wickets
Loss by 267 runs
Win by 1 run
Loss by 8 wickets
Loss by 323 runs
Something that has been stewing since the start of the second Test is Blackcaps rolling with the same team that lost the first Test in Christchurch. Blackcaps did this in Sri Lanka for back to back losses and somehow, more changes were made Test to Test during the series win in India than there were in the two 0-2 sweep defeats.
This highlights the iffy mana, mauri, wairua and winning culture of the Blackcaps. In happier times, Blackcaps could be trusted to fix their problems quickly and efficiently. Bounce backs were mandatory and Blackcaps earned the trust of kiwi cricket fans. None of that is evident these days and we now follow a team that is doing the same thing for the same result.
As noted after the first Test, most of the Blackcaps issues against England have been displayed over multiple years and different formats. It's admirable to show faith to players, especially those who have earned the benefits of consistent mahi. It's really awkward when too much faith is shown and blokes look out of place in the Test arena.
Devon Conway was graced with a casual contract by NZC in August, joining Aotearoa's greatest batter ever Kane Williamson in the casual crew. Conway was struggling for Test runs prior to that honour and three years averaging 40+ in T20I batting were followed with 13avg/110sr in 2023, then 22.8avg/118sr this year. That helped Conway earn casual contract status and he repaid the faith by facing less deliveries (66) than Will O'Rourke (82) in this series so far.
Tim Southee last took 3+ wickets in a Test on March 17, 2023 vs Sri Lanka. Since then, Southee has taken 19w in 12 Tests @ 53avg/3.4rpo and after 4w @ 61avg/5rpo in two Tests against England, Southee has locked in 1st 11 selection for his farewell Test.
The trend of Blackcaps losing in Aotearoa/losing each summer started with a loss vs Bangladesh and their seven home losses since the start of 2022 feature Southee and Tom Latham as captains. Kane Williamson last captained Blackcaps for a home Test in 2021, so maybe he is the juice Blackcaps need, but the alarming details here are performances of captains and how Blackcaps losses stretched across different captains.
Tim Southee
Captain: 38.6avg/2.8rpo
Not Captain: 29.3avg/3rpo
Tom Latham
Captain: 27.8avg/55sr
Not Captain: 40.34avg/47sr
Blackcaps haven't scored 400+ runs in an innings so far vs England and been bowled out in all four innings batted. They have dismissed England in two of the four innings. Tom Blundell is the only kiwi batter with a strike-rate over 80 and no bowler is below 4rpo for Blackcaps.
England has five batters over 80sr and three over 90sr. England also has four bowlers below 4rpo. This is a comprehensive hammering, similar to what Australia and Sri Lanka dished up against New Zealand and just like what Blackcaps gave India in their series win.
Shout out to Blundell for showing some ticker with the bat. This isn't his worst year of Test batting as he scored 73 runs @ 12avg/25sr in 2021 and Blundell has at least scored a century, with at least one other 50+ score in three consecutive years. Blundell is just the third Blackcaps batter to score a century this year he joins a group of six batters who have scored 400+ runs this year.
Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke have taken 5+ wickets with averages over 40 and economy rates over 5rpo. Statistically, the younger members of this Blackcaps squad were just as mediocre as the senior lads but watching these two lead Blackcaps for effort and intensity provides a glimpse towards an optimistic future.
Smith looks comfortable in the Test arena. He was always willing to steam in and churn out overs for his country, maintaining high energy levels over long phases. Smith has scores of 3, 21, 14 and 42 which are teasers of his batting ability, as well as entering the Blackcaps Test squad as one of the best fielders.
Like O'Rourke, Smith has displayed 1st 11 talent. O'Rourke took a wicket in every innings of this series and sliding back to his one game of Plunket Shield prior to this series, O'Rourke has a wicket in six consecutive innings with 11 wickets all up. Matt Henry and O'Rourke are the only kiwi bowlers with 30+ wickets this year, with O'Rourke snaring wickets/smashing hands in Aotearoa, Sri Lanka and India.
Ravindra has had a notable drop in run-scoring production. He had scores of 5 and 4 in the third Test vs India, then 7 and 0 in his Plunket Shield appearance. So far he has scores of 34, 24, 3 and 6 against England. That's the grind of Test cricket for a youngster, meanwhile Glenn Phillips has been able to impact these Tests with his bat and in the field. Phillips didn't snap up his opportunities as the lead spinner, but his 29 overs in two Tests (Southee has bowled 49ov as the next lowest) didn't really provide the opportunity that many expected.
All of which is to point out how the young/emerging Blackcaps are making significant contributions to the Test team, while they endure the battles the starting a Test career. It's concerning how important contributions from Ravindra, Phillips and O'Rourke have been as well as showing the quality of talent rising through the kiwi cricket pipeline.
Smith has now played two Tests against a powerful, confident team and his all-round skills is aligned with the other three emerging lads. Again, it’s concerning that Smith was leading the energy and intensity, as well as highlighting his potential as someone who can settle into a 1st 11 role.
Heading into the third Test, Ravindra leads Blackcaps for Test runs this year and Phillips is fifth. Ravindra is the only bloke with 900+ runs and Phillips has the highest strike-rate for Blackcaps batters with 200+ runs, as well as hitting the most sixes for Aotearoa this year (18 - next best is Ravindra's 10 sixes). O'Rourke is second for Test wickets this year, Smith enters Test cricket with 80 runs and 7 wickets in his first two Tests.
Throughout this period of diminished Blackcaps Test mahi, the younger lads are near the top of Blackcaps run-scoring and wicket-taking. Under adversity, the newest lad in Smith showed the grit and intensity that used to be foundations of kiwi cricket. If you can absorb the alarm of Blackcaps Test performances and how widespread the woes are, there is just enough light peeking through the cracks in how youngsters are performing to provide hope for whenever the next Test series is.
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