Spin bowling is supposed to be New Zealand’s weakness.
But if the Black Caps’ 61-run T20 World Cup victory over Sri Lanka in Colombo is anything to go by, you should underestimate New Zealand’s tweakers at your peril.
Even in some of the golden years of New Zealand cricket, spin bowling was a glaring hole in the Black Caps’ best sides.
With the exception of Daniel Vettori, world-class slow bowlers have been a rarity for New Zealand in all formats.
And while white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has taken that mantle as he’s matured, the Black Caps would still expect to be outgunned by other international sides with much deeper playing stocks.
However, the landscape of cricket has changed. While New Zealand doesn’t produce home conditions favouring spinners, opportunities are becoming easier to find elsewhere.
Of the Black Caps’ spin options at this year’s T20 World Cup, Santner, Ish Sodhi, Glenn Phillips and Rachin Ravindra have all spent time playing in franchise leagues overseas.
That, coupled with a power shift that’s seen more international tournaments played in the Indian subcontinent, has meant Kiwi spinners have arguably never enjoyed such favourable conditions.
Sri Lanka found that out the hard way this morning. With a home curator at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, the pitch for the Super Eights clash was naturally prepared to give the co-hosts the edge, in conditions the Black Caps hadn’t experienced during this year’s tournament.
But once they’d recovered from 84-6 to post 168-7, courtesy of a record partnership between Santner and Cole McConchie, the Black Caps spinners rewrote Sri Lanka’s script.
In total, 17 of the 20 overs bowled by New Zealand were spin, as the hosts quickly fell behind the required run rate and the top order succumbed to the pressure created by Santner and co.
Part-timers Ravindra (4-27) and Phillips (1-21) got through four overs each.
Lockie Ferguson, the Black Caps’ fastest bowler and previously their best of the tournament so far, was thrown the ball for only one over.
This is hardly the first time teams have prepared pitches to suit their spinners only to be undone by the Black Caps.
In December 2023, they defeated Bangladesh in a test that lasted just 170 overs, as the hosts looked to spin them out in Dhaka.
Less than a year later, they sealed a famous 3-0 away series win over India, also in conditions doctored for the home side.
That’s not to say the Black Caps are impervious to slow bowling. On their last visit to Sri Lanka, a 2-0 test series defeat ended Tim Southee’s captaincy.
But asked about the performance of the spinners in Colombo, man-of-the-match Ravindra said the collective display wasn’t “anything special”.
“Most of it is backing what we do and trusting our method. We’re used to bowling overspin in New Zealand; you’re not getting that much purchase, so you hope for a bit of dip, bounce and guile. That wicket was suitable for that.
“It’s about hard work, training and communication between the spin group. Santner is one of the best white-ball spinners in the world, who tells you what to bowl. That helps, having him at extra cover.
“We’ve got guys who have a lot of experience. Ish has played over 100 T20s, Cole has played a lot of domestic cricket, GP is going from strength to strength with his off-spin.
“I’m just there to chip in a couple here and there. Hopefully, we can take that going forward.”
While not through to the final four yet, a win or washout against England on Saturday morning (NZT) will be enough for the Black Caps to progress.
Defeat will leave them waiting on Pakistan 24 hours later, who could pip the Kiwis on net run rate, against a Sri Lankan side with nothing to play for.
Alex Powell is a sports journalist for the NZ Herald. He has been a sports journalist since 2016.