Mark Richardson: Raising the bar is way to win consistently

Don't make test cricket pitches to suit substandard players but rather produce players capable of making result pitches.

A test match is a beautiful thing, looked at the right way.

It is a contest between bat and ball, with small victories and losses along the way, even if the final outcome is a draw.

When you enter into a five-day game of cricket at the top level, a win to either team is not a given right. Sure, you must outplay your opposition to prevail in one-day game but, in a test match, you must not only play well to dominate the opposition but you have to ensure you turn your domination into a winning result.

That is why a test match is referred to as a true test of cricket because a victory must indicate very good cricket indeed. A win over five days is, and should always be, treasured. Well done to the groundsmen in Christchurch, Auckland and Napier for producing true test pitches and I hope it will continue in Wellington tomorrow.

The Napier pitch was flat, a batting paradise and produced big first-innings totals for both teams. It also nearly produced a result - or did it? Perhaps it was the unorthodox and enthusiastic Lasith Malinga who nearly produced a result.

You've all heard the cliche: 'You need 20 wickets to win a test.' Funny things, those cliches - they always seem to be right. To win a test you must score more runs than the opposition but you must also bowl them out twice. How do you bowl them out? You do it with test quality bowling and a test quality bowling unit. You don't turn up, get it in the right place often enough and let the pitch do the work. You do the work!

That is the ethic that has been missing in our cricket for quite some time because we have played on wickets that are simply not test match quality. This ethic should be learned at club level, magnified at first class level and showcased at test level. Don't give me that old mumbo jumbo about weather, moisture and lack of resources. Just look at what the Napier groundsman produced with a ton of pre-game rain. It had bounce and carry but not excessive seam movement.

I reckon the startling accuracy of Australia's seamers and the wizardry of Shane Warne would have forced a result in Napier, and perhaps you add Dan Vettori, Shane Bond and Muttiah Muralitharan into the equation for this last test and the chances of a result would have improved.

But one thing I believe was that our bowlers improved out of sight through their experience at Napier and, when the effort they had to exert out on the McLean Park surface becomes the norm, we'll be able to win everywhere we go.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY