Blackcaps Take on West Indies Calypso!

With winter very much firmly in control of New Zealand, it is just as well that Kiwi sports followers have quite a bit of sport on the big black screen on those cold rainy nights - or mornings at work.

There's obviously the All Blacks, the football World Cup and Commonwealth Games to look forward to this winter but not to be left out are the Blackcaps, international cricket's rising force.

Indeed, the Blackcaps will want to continue that rise up the world cricket rankings after a stunning summer that seems an age ago when they beat former world number one, India 1-0 in the test series - as well as 4-0 in the one day series.

Earlier that summer, they also took on the West Indies, their hosts during this winter season. Back then, the Blackcaps generally had a measure of the visitors, 2-0 in the tests, 2-2 in the one day series, 2-0 in the Twenty20s.

Kensington Oval, Barbados - one of the great arenas of world cricket 

The likes of Sabina Park, Kensington Oval and Queens Oval were once paradises for the tall, fast bowlers that were once the staple of West Indian world cricket domination - Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, etc. all thrived on the bouncy and quick pitches as batters often walked off with blood gushing down their faces or their private parts rather bruised.

Nowadays, the wickets there are much slower and with the West Indies domestic season shifting more towards the hurricane season, the humidity and moisture are much higher, making it more conducive for bowlers who can create movement with the ball.

It's a shame then, given that the Blackcaps boast one of the better fast-bowling lineups in world cricket at the moment, i.e. Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee, Corey Anderson with Doug Bracewell, Adam Milne, Mitch McClenaghan also in the mix. Mind you, they definitely can generate movement with the ball and against a West Indies batting lineup that they had the measure of in New Zealand, they will be quite confident going into the test series and Twenty20s.

After a period of 10 years where the Blackcaps did not visit the sunny Caribbean and experienced the rum and beaches, the Blackcaps are now set to play there twice in two years although it is a pity that they won't be playing 50 over cricket this time round - strange too, given that the World Cup is around the corner.

Quite a few of the top players should be in form too having been busy playing in the IPL since we last saw them victorious as they walked off victorious from Wellington's Basin Reserve having claimed their biggest scalp in 10 years in the form of India. The only question is switching from Twenty20 hit and giggle to test cricket's wait and survive.

For once, New Zealand cricket is must-see viewing rather than wait and hope.

My tip - 1-0 in the test series, 1-1 in the Twenty20s

NZ Test squad - Peter Fulton, Tom Latham, Hamish Rutherford, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum (captain), Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, BJ Watling, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ish Sodhi, Jimmy Neesham, Mark Craig (new cap), Trent Boult

West Indies squad for 1st test - Denesh Ramdhin, Suleiman Benn, Kraig Braithwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Kirk Edwards, Chris Gayle, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Shane Shillingford

June 8-12, 2014 - 1st Test, Sabina Park, Kingston
June 16-20, 2014 - 2nd Test, Queens Oval, Port of Spain
June 26-30, 2014 - 3rd Test, Kensington Oval, Barbados
July 5, 2014 - 1st Twenty20, Roseau
July 6, 2014 - 2nd Twenty20, Roseau

(all local times)