The joy of test cricket is that over the days it takes to play out a match anything can happen.
For every drawn-out draw and outright pasting that the Black Caps receive at the hands of their international opponents, there is the occasional brilliant win.
We celebrate these wins all themore because they are hard to come by. And when it is a win against Australia, we tend to go nuts because, well, because the Aussies are tough buggers to beat. Most particularly when they are at home.
So what would have been the odds of New Zealand, battered by their old foe in the first test, getting up to beat Australia by a nail-biting seven runs at Bellerive, Hobart? Frankly, not great.
All the more sensational, then, when a bowler with real ticker, Napier's Doug Bracewell, wrote his place in cricketing history by skittling six Aussie batsmen for 40 runs.
Australia had been marching toward yet another victory at 2 for 159 when Bracewell began his relentless demolition job. Tail-ender Nathan Lyon almost saw the Aussies home but Bracewell nailed him as well, in the nick of time.
That's test cricket for you.
Bracewell was robbed of the rightful accolade of man of the match by a wrong-headed decision by Australian Cricket to let the public decide via text voting. Funnily enough, the Aussies voted for an Aussie (plucky batsman David Warner) conveniently ignoring the fact that New Zealand had won the test and that Bracewell was our shining star.
Not that his father, former international Brendon Bracewell, thinks Doug will care. "Dougie doesn't give two hoots about things like that, mate," he told Hawke's Bay Today.
The Australian texters were not the only ones to do the Kiwi cricketers a disservice. The ink was barely dry on several text messages to the editor on this page telling readers how hopeless the Black Caps were when Bracewell pummelled Australia into submission. Howzat for a reply!
