Black Caps eye best ranking
They scaled their version of cricket’s Everest in the desert. Now the Black Caps are eyeing another peak with an unprecedented climb to No 2 in the world test rankings if they can sweep Sri Lanka.
Captain Kane Williamson, coach Gary Stead and their team returned from the United Arab Emirates yesterday with a 2-1 series win over Pakistan and will re-assemble in Wellington on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka will greet them for the first of two tests starting at the Basin Reserve on Saturday, with a significant incentive for New Zealand to win in Wellington and Christchurch.
The International Cricket Council said in a statement that fourth-ranked New Zealand would leapfrog South Africa and England into second place on the test rankings behind India, if they beat Sri Lanka 2-0.
Definitive rankings history stretching back to their inception in 2003 is difficult to come by but it is believed No 3 is the Black Caps’ highest test position.
Teams are paid accordingly by the ICC depending on their ranking at the year-end April cutoff. At the last one, the Black Caps received US$200,000 (NZ$290,000) for finishing third, following a 1-0 home series win over England.
From next August every test series will carry an incentive with the inaugural world test championship culminating in a final between the top-two sides. New Zealand’s schedule is tough, starting in Sri Lanka before they host England in December, travel to Australia for a three-test series, then return home to host India.
The rarefied air of No 2 will be reward for a memorable victory in the UAE, where they achieved their much-discussed goal of matching the 1969 side as the only New Zealand teams to win an away series against Pakistan.
Stead was adamant that there would be no hangover – figuratively – after the euphoria of Abu Dhabi when they assemble at the Basin.
‘‘I don’t think there will be any need for motivation. It’s the start of our home summer and we want to do well at home and do well for our fans,’’ he said.
The manner of New Zealand’s dual victories in Abu Dhabi pleased Stead the most in his first tour as coach.
In the first test, they posted just 153 batting first, then snuck up on Pakistan to skittle them for 171 in the fourth innings inspired by debutant Ajaz Patel.
Then at 1-1 they made a better fist of batting, with Williamson supreme and Henry Nicholls and BJ Watling not far behind, before another unlikely hero in Will Somerville took seven for the match in his own debut.
‘‘What was special is there were times we were chasing the game and we were behind and the character and fight we showed at times in the game was outstanding,’’ Stead said.
‘‘It’s the way of Kiwis that they’re prepared to fight hard. They [Pakistan] had a partnership of 200-odd at one point and to come out the other side of that and chase from the start of day four when we were minus-50, to get a win on the last day is very special.’’
It ensured a few more through the Basin turnstiles for the Black Caps, who confirmed their status as likeable battlers who roll up their sleeves up and never give in. Williamson epitomised that with his captaincy and inspirational batting double of 89 and 139 to set up the 123-run victory.
New Zealand name their 13-man squad for Wellington today, with a tough decision looming between Patel and Somerville for the one spin berth in seamer-friendly conditions.
‘‘The character and fight we showed at times . . . was outstanding.’’ New Zealand coach Gary Stead