Summer is (Almost) Here

The rugby season is over meaning that summer is (almost) here and it'll soon be time for a bit of willow and leather ball.

Of course due to the way international cricket is nowadays as well as the wonders of television, the Black Caps are very much in action on the small screen - a screen smaller than usual too given that Zimbabwe broadcasters can't really afford HD cameras.

The Black Caps took out the Twenty20 series 2-0 and then, the one day series 2-1 - the 1 against coming this morning in Bulawayo after the Zimbabweans chased down 329 to win.

This has been very much the battle of the minnows of world cricket - contrast that to the England v India series taking place at the same time.

New Zealand have expectedly been the better side when the result matters. But Zimbabwe have been unexpectedly better than we thought - certainly a far cry from the side the New Zealanders took on on their last  tour in 2005.

Brendan Taylor is good enough to make top international sides and he's been quite inspirational with the bat. Without him, Zimbabwe would have struggled to get to 200 in the first two games - and therein lies another surprise, Zimbabwe putting competitive scores albeit on flat, batting friendly wickets. That confidence flowed onto the rest of the team during their record win, especially Malcolm Waller who scored an unbeaten 99 with some assistance from Ross Taylor.

It is in the bowling where Zimbabwe are clearly second rate and will struggle in the long run away from home. But Zimbabwe won't quite be the easy beats that people originally made them out to be.

The Black Caps play one sole test starting next Tuesday on November 1 in Bulawayo - hopefully, potential opener, BJ Watling will be able to get some batting practice after his attempt to do so in the last one dayer spectacularly backfired; run out without facing a ball.

After that, the Black Caps have a quick break before going across the Tasman to play the Australians in two tests in Brisbane (Dec 1-5) and Hobart (Dec 9-13). The focus is on domestic Twenty20 cricket thereafter until mid-January when the Zimbabweans return for 1 test, 3 one dayers and 2 Twenty20s.

The real action domestically finally takes off in February when South Africa tour New Zealand for the first time in 8 years - 3 Twenty20s, 3 one dayers and 3 tests.


So Ross Taylor's first season as Black Caps captain is underway. A new era once again beckons as the old brigade is slowly phased out by John Wright. Can the likes of Rob Nicol and Doug Bracewell solidify their spots in the XI as the likes of Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram enter the autumn of their careers?

Whatever the case, it's good to see the Blackcaps back playing for the first time in a long while!