In an international cricket schedule dominated increasingly by Twenty20 clashes and one-day games, it is fortuitous that the New Zealand team's next match is a test against Zimbabwe.
The Napier encounter, starting on January 26, will be a chance for the Black Caps to receive the applause they have earnedfor their nail-biting victory over Australia in Hobart.
But it is also an opportunity to celebrate the form of the game that continues to defy doomsayers by producing sporting drama of the highest quality.
Many have predicted the passing of test cricket. All sorts of marketing gurus have suggested ways of breathing life into its supposed corpse. They need not have bothered.
Events of the past month have proved the product is just fine. In addition to New Zealand's seven-run win over its biggest rival, there have been riveting tests between Australia and South Africa and a clash between India and West Indies in Mumbai that went right down to the last ball.
In each of these matches, there was a constant ebbing and flowing of fortune. The tension in the denouements matched that of any encounter in any sport anywhere. Those who were there were treated to unforgettable spectacles.
The same can rarely be said for those who attend the surfeit of limited-overs games.
The only shame is that, in this country at least, people no longer go to tests in great numbers.
What happened at Bellerive Oval and elsewhere over the past month should have some people reassessing their cricket-watching priorities.
