Editorial: Euphoria over Black Caps’ one-run victory understandable

The Black Caps celebrate victory over England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in a most unlikely win to draw the series 1-1. Photo / Getty Images

EDITORIAL

After the dismal summer of weather and scarcity of home cricket, it did feel like all that could be forgotten and forgiven in one delivery at the Basin Reserve on Tuesday.

Somehow, the Black Caps dug into a too-often empty bag of fortune to find a nugget in Neil Wagner’s ball to English No 11 James Anderson, who edged the delivery to keeper Tom Blundell to have England all out for 256, a one-run win to New Zealand.

Wagner and Blundell have received plenty of deserved praise for this single play but also for their work throughout the second innings. Former captain Kane Williamson too shone with the bat, hitting 132 off 282 deliveries in what many believed would be a brief respite in an inevitable English triumph.

In a sport that loves statistics, there are some truly remarkable records. This is only the second ever to be won by one run since test cricket began in 1877 after the West Indies bettered Australia by the same margin in Adelaide 30 years ago.

The Black Caps are just the fourth team to win after being forced to follow on. In normal circumstances, the conclusion of defeat is foregone. The last time it happened was in 2001 when India beat Australia at Kolkata.

However, the sports pages dedicated to this delightful result cannot paper over the cracks in New Zealand cricket. The Black Caps are generally thought to be in decline.

But there’s enough there in the playing stock to think that the decline might not be so perilous as past fallow periods in New Zealand cricket. There is evidence being established from this drawn home series against England.

Blundell is a world-class wicketkeeper, with the best test batting average of any with pulling on the gloves in the game today. After starting his career crouching in the shadow of gritty keeper BJ Watling, who averaged 37.5 in tests, Blundell is sitting on 45.

Kyle Jamieson and Devin Conway are superb in their talents and the Black Caps have a tight group of good young spin bowlers developing.

English coach Brendon McCullum’s positive approach was somewhat exposed. If Joe Root hadn’t swatted at a daft shot, they would have taken the test. In the upcoming Ashes series, Australia is likely to examine McCullum’s philosophy more rigorously.

There’s also a need for perspective when lauding the 112th test between New Zealand and England.

It was certainly an exciting test victory but surely winning the ICC World Test Championship final in 2021 by beating India at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, England, is still their greatest. And that’s likely to be always the case.

If not for the most unlikely one-run victory, the column centimetres would be singing a much less praiseworthy song yesterday and today about the Black Caps or, worse, singing about another sport entirely.

But, what a result. Well done, Black Caps, take the win. And loyal fans, enjoy it most fulsomely.