New Zealand Deserves Longer Test Series

Is it too early to say New Zealand Cricket has turned a corner? In 23 Test match series since 2008, the Blackcaps have won 10 Tests – including wins over Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and India.

Yet is the nature of the Test series in which New Zealand are competing damaging their cricket? There have been only seven Test series of three matches in that time, compared to 14 two Test series and the rest are one of Tests. Clearly, New Zealand’s success should be a weapon for the Blackcaps fans to badger New Zealand Cricket to petition the ICC for more three match series.

Currently the top few are sometimes playing five match series and at the very least playing three matches. The crumbs are being gobbled up by those below those big teams, including New Zealand.  It’s fair to say that status quo will stand, but if the future tours programme is to go ahead successfully everyone has to play from the same plate. 

Five match series are a good thing for the marquee Test series – such as the Ashes – but when they come at the expense of the other nations it is not good. There needs to be a levelling of the playing field: only counting the results from the first three matches in a five match series on the ICC Rankings would be an interesting start.

New Zealand has earned the right to demand grander Test series. The appointment of a new coach and captain, stable and consistent selections and new self-belief have seen this bunch of luckless wannabes turn into a very adept unit.  It is difficult to single out key players – a sign of a team in unison – and they have developed from a team that just competes against higher opposition to one that beats them.

The true test of how well they will go further is their overseas tours to Windies and Pakistan this year, and then the tricky Sri Lanka at home next summer. Whilst the West Indies should be challenging yet not daunting, winning in the UAE against Pakistan is quickly becoming the hallmark of a great team. Against Saeed Ajmal on pitches that are the most tricky of any around the world, New Zealand could struggle.

Test cricket in New Zealand has had new life breathed into it.  Just witness the stupendous crowd at The Basin to see McCullum make history – the fifth day at the end of the summer, drawing the crowds in.  Now it’s time to ride that wave of support, get rid of one off Tests and two match series, and to get Test cricket that New Zealand deserves.