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.

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.

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.

Aotearoa Blackcaps have dropped their first Test squad of the summer, which apparently doubles up for the series vs England and then Australia.

The naughty north of Aotearoa gets a cricket extravaganza this week as England prepare for the Test series vs Aotearoa with games against an Aotearoa 11 and Aotearoa 'A'.

Rain is on the menu in Auckland today, meaning there is a decent chance on minimal cricket being played in the deciding T20I between Aotearoa and England.

Three games down and Aotearoa's Blackcaps are 2-1 vs England in this T20I series, after another steady display in Nelson.