Cricket: Conquering Aussies in for a fight

Shane Watson is among the players who will be given every respect by the Black Caps. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Australia arrived yesterday, primed to carry on the carnage of their splendid summer.

It's been one-way traffic as Pakistan, then the West Indies were rolled like possums in the headlights, in all three forms.

Six tests produced five wins and a creditable draw by the Windies in Adelaide. Ten ODIs? Nine wins and a no-result; and three Twenty20s were all won.

So 19 games for 17 wins and no losses. Not half bad, so all hail the conquering green and gold steamroller, which will now set about squashing New Zealand over the next few weeks to show it's business as usual whichever side of the Tasman they're on.

However New Zealand should have a couple of thoughts rolling round in the back of their minds ahead of tomorrow night's Twenty20 opener in Wellington.

Australia have left the cosiness of their own back yard. Better sides than these Australians have come unstuck in New Zealand, so the hosts must utilise what they know about their own conditions.

And, as ordinary as much of New Zealand's cricket was against Pakistan and Bangladesh - their first two visitors this summer - they surely can't be as hopeless as the West Indies in the past couple of weeks.

Some of their cricket was wretched, thoughtless and plainly uncaring. The pain of defeat didn't seem to cut too deeply.

Okay, there was no Chanderpaul, Sarwan, Edwards or Taylor, but this was not one of those B teams the West Indies have been obliged to pick when players vs board disputes have forced, well, a plan B.

Which is not to downplay Australia's achievement this season. They are a fine side, if not of the order of the collection of stars circa the early 2000s.

But they are hugely combative, hungry, competitive in the extreme and with a mix of hardcore senior players like captain Ricky Ponting, Twenty20 skipper Michael Clarke, feisty wicketkeeper Brad Haddin and Mike Hussey; fast risers such as Shane Watson; and spring-heeled newcomers like legspinner Steven Smith.

So nothing new there then. But this is more about New Zealand than Australia. As a starting point, New Zealand could determine they won't lie down like the West Indies.

And they will play smarter, and with more heart, than Pakistan, who would have toppled Australia in their Sydney test but for tactics you'll find in chapter one in the "How To Throw Away A Winning Opportunity" manual, and dismal batting at precisely the time sensible cricket could have brought an outstanding win.

On Tuesday, at least there was something to match the depths of the West Indian limited-overs cricket.

The puerile commentary from a group of former internationals and a sycophantic Englishman sounded more like chortling 12-year-olds trying to outdo each other's flatulence jokes.

They swooned as the Aussies, bookended by Shaun Tait's sizzling pace and David Warner's top order biff and blast, easily wrapped things up. Cheerleading was the order of the night.

New Zealand will start clear second favourites, and it's true that heart and spirit will get them only part of the way. But you'd hope, certainly in the one-day forms, it would be further than Australia's marshmallow opponents managed this season.