Paul Lewis: The Black Caps' chance to wipe away 75 years of torment

Glenn Maxwell celebrates World Cup victory over the Black Caps in 2015. Photo / Photosport

OPINION:

I had a dream the other night. I was working in Burger King when Australian cricket opener David Warner came in.

"Give me two Whoppers," he said. I said: "Okay, you're a nice man and you're very tall."

That dream is probably the result of deep-seated New Zealand psychosis when it comes to playing Australia in any sport (except rugby). That's particularly true of cricket – and now the Black Caps go into Monday morning's T20 World Cup final against Australia.

If the Black Caps win this one they will demonstrably win the credit that coach Gary Stead believes they deserve, but are not given – even though they are world test champions and the team have fashioned a stellar record, building on the previous work of Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson.

Let's be honest. We'd all rather be playing anyone else than Australia. Even Pakistan – who have no reason to love New Zealand cricket right now – must have felt the waves of psychic encouragement radiating up from here when they played Australia in the semifinal.

The final will be a stern test of the Black Caps' mental strength, particularly after the self-inflicted loss of one of their key batters, Devon Conway, who broke a bone in his hand when, in a spasm of anger at his dismissal, he struck his own bat.

There have been some bizarre injuries in sport – I'm thinking Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, who was sitting on the loo after a fine Champions League win a few years back – when the toilet door inexplicably fell off its hinges, hitting Fletcher on the head, requiring stitches for the gash.

But if we're talking self-inflicted, perhaps Conway can take comfort from the mishap of Guy Frerotte, the Washington NFL player who, having scored a touchdown against the New York Giants in the 1990s, famously celebrated by running head-first into a concrete wall, badly injuring himself. Frerotte later said he mistook the concrete for padding. Yes.

Conway's loss will be keenly felt. Kane Williamson hasn't been himself in this tournament (T20 is his least effective version of the game) and Conway's ability to work the ball around while hitters like Daryl Mitchell and the electric Jimmy Neesham do their thing has been important.

With his South African origins, Conway may also have been refreshingly clear of the little brother/inferiority complex that has affected New Zealand cricketers against Australia for decades.

A dejected New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum at the conclusion of the ICC Cricket World Cup Final in 2015. Photo / Photosport

It dates right back to 1946 and the hiding the Aussies gave New Zealand in their first test – a defeat which rankled as the "arrogant" Aussies deigned not to play us again until 1973 because we weren't good enough. It continued through the underarm controversy of 1981 in that infamous one-day match and through to 2015.

That was the last time the Black Caps faced Australia in a (one-day) World Cup final. After all the earlier heroics in New Zealand, with McCullum, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliot and Tim Southee leading the way, the country was behind their cricket team as never before. For fans, it was an uplifting time watching the rest of the country become infected with the cricketing virus.

But it all went downhill faster than an Australian agreement to buy French submarines. Aussie quick Mitchell Starc skittled McCullum early and a thick cloud of letdown settled over New Zealand like the Beijing smog mixed with a fire in a used tyre yard.

It was made worse by the old enemy wiping the floor with the Black Caps in the 2019-2020 test series – something often raised by Aussies when discussing the world test championship with its inference that the Black Caps weren't really the best test team in the world.

The Australians regard us as the big brother looks at the little brother when playing backyard cricket. Mum might be yelling out the window to let the little bloke win – but the big boy can't help it. He's compelled to squish him again; if he lets him win, the balance of the world will be disturbed.

Black Caps players watch as Australia celebrates its test series victory in 2019-20. Photo / Photosport

That's what the Black Caps are facing on Monday morning, not just a world-class team but a psyche which has been poked, prodded and taunted by the Aussies for nearly 80 years.

They will need everything that Stead says they have: "I'm not sure when you line each player up – man for man – that a lot of people give us the credit some of these guys deserve. It's a pretty experienced group of guys now who know each other's games very, very well and know the skills of each other. As a collective group, we do fight and fight hard. That's all I keep asking for."

Everyone says these Black Caps are different – not scared of anyone. They'll need to prove that, especially without Conway, against a team which, as Stead quite rightly says is a "team of match-winners". Someone always seems to step up when the Australians need it.

For most of us, there's only one thing worse than being beaten by the Aussies – and at least that can be lanced, drained and surgically dressed.