Cricket: Positive vibe in the Black Caps' camp

Tarun Nethula's New Zealand career is genuinely underway. Photo / Getty Images

Tarun Nethula had spun out 86 balls in his debut series for New Zealand when he nabbed his first wicket at McLean Park on Thursday night.

The next few moments told a small tale of their own.

The legspinner, Auckland-raised but now playing for Central Districts, punched the air in delight, his teammates ran in for a hug and a barrage of high fives, the genuine delight obvious.

There was a second wicket a couple of overs later and Nethula's New Zealand career, which began three days earlier in Whangarei, was genuinely under way.

His last seven overs on Thursday produced two for 21 and left wicketkeeper and acting captain Brendon McCullum extolling his work.

New ball bowler Michael Bates earlier made his mark on debut with a wicket and generally bowled tidily.

Allrounder Andrew Ellis has caught the important eyes well enough over the past week to be added to the T20 squad in place of the injured Dean Brownlie.

Colin de Grandhomme, not in the ODI squad but on hand as the T20 group got together in Napier on Thursday, spent the Zimbabwe innings in the field.

He contributed in a different way, with two catches, one of which he made deceptively straightforward, but was not, running away from the pitch at mid wicket to catch a ball coming over his shoulder.

De Grandhomme, Zimbabwe-born, would have had a moment to reflect on the path his cricket life has taken. He looked the part in the field, too.

Young batsman Tom Latham has taken his opportunity impressively.

Tonight, or on Tuesday in Hamilton, left-arm spinner Ronnie Hira and de Grandhomme will get their chance in the two T20s.

These are good days for the wider New Zealand team.

Set aside the quality of Zimbabwe, who sadly have not asked as many questions of New Zealand as would have been hoped.

New Zealand's standards have been high and they have introduced new players to the fold.

Before the two squads were named at the end of the truncated one-off test, also in Napier a couple of weeks ago, there was a thought that the selectors might stick to the players they know, that it was to be a hard-nosed approach.

Build on what had been started back at Hobart with the terrific test win over Australia in December, went that line of thinking.

Instead, John Wright and his national selection manager Kim Littlejohn took a broader perspective. They recognised a chance to spread the base.

Whether they would have done so to the extent they did, in naming six newcomers over the two squads, had they been preparing to play, say, England or India, is a moot point.

It doesn't matter, anyway, because they can reflect on a job well done.

A clutch of players have experienced the international game and this is no bad time to be part of a confident New Zealand side, believing in themselves, creating and taking opportunities.

Swing bowler Trent Boult came in at Hobart and had a debut he'll not forget.

Brownlie, until fracturing a finger this week at Whangarei, was a certainty for the first test against South Africa early next month.

BJ Watling made a good fist of the wicketkeeping-No 7 batting job at Napier.

The vibe right now is distinctly positive.

South Africa arrive this weekend. That challenge will be gruelling. The tourists will be combative andtough.

But there is a seam of optimism running through the New Zealand camp which might not have been there a few months ago.

There are no guarantees, but certainly with South Africa rumbling into view, they seem a contented group, happy in themselves and with the cricket they have been playing.

Good days indeed.