Series win would aid NZ’s cause

IT IS time New Zealand moved from the back seat of a Holden and got behind the wheel of a Jaguar.

The Black Caps have a rare chance to put a dent in Australia’s proud record when match two of the fivegame T20 series gets under way in Dunedin this afternoon.

Australia has dominated the relationship since the team’s first international in 1946.

For a start, they have won most of the games and often quite easily. Perhaps for that reason they have been reluctant to commit to regular games and have not always sent their best team to our shores.

There has been a touch of arrogance in the way they have treated their transtasman rivals.

New Zealand has held the moral high ground since the underarm incident 40 years ago. But all the fans really want is for the team to deliver a crushing blow because that seems the best way to remind cricket administrators around the world the Black Caps are worthy of more than twogame test series they seem to get stuck with so often.

Despite all the gains the side has made — the ICC test No 1 ranking, qualifying for the World test Championship final; backtoback World Cup finals and the extraordinary record they have compiled at home — the Black Caps are not part of the socalled big three. That’s India, England and Australia.

A 50 drubbing of Australia just might help the team get taken more seriously, in Australia at least. And just maybe that is possible.

Australia has arrived shorn of some of the bigger names in world cricket. Steve Smith, David Warner, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are at home watching from the couch.

The Australian camp has not long got out of managed isolation. No matter what skipper Aaron Finch says, that does take a toll on players.

And the visitors got pummelled in game one by a Black Caps side which is playing tremendously and who are formidable in home conditions.

Devon Conway is the best discovery since a Scottish physician accidentally left out a Petri dish. He has added even more resolve and class to a quality batting lineup which includes the ICC No 1 testranked batsman, Kane Williamson.

The swing duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult understand how to exploit conditions, and the attack is nicely balanced with leg spinner Ish Sodhi and leftarmer Mitchell Santner offering eight overs of slow bowling in the middle.

And the Black Caps are undefeated in eight tests and eight ODIs at the University of Otago Oval, the venue of today’s game.

There are some concerns, though. Experienced opener Martin Guptill is going through a lean run. Without Lockie Ferguson (injured) the Black Caps are missing a speedster who can run in and bowl at 150kmh.

And it is hard to believe there is no room in the squad for Ross Taylor.

But arguably you would not swap out many of the Black Caps for their Australian rivals, even if you threw in a set of fluffy dice for the Jag.