Black Sox coach Don Tricker says his team's shock first loss to Australia was just what they needed after wrapping up the series in Wellington.
In one of transtasman sport's biggest turnarounds, Australia backed up from a record 13-0 hiding - their 35th straight loss to the Black Sox - to
dish out their own punishment with a 7-1 win in game four at Hataitai Park on Saturday night.
The Black Sox had already won the four-match Transtasman Trophy series after 5-4 and 6-1 wins on Friday night, but the result still left onlookers stunned.
Tricker insisted the loss was a blessing for the side, who are already eyeing the defence of their world title in 2004.
"We're on a journey to the next world series and it's experiences like this that are probably the most important," Tricker said.
"We learned more about ourselves in that first innings than we have in the past year and a half.
"If we went through to the world series and didn't strike a hiccup like this, we might start thinking we're a bit better than we really are."
The first innings, just half-an-hour after the Black Sox notched their biggest win in the 13-year history of transtasman clashes, signalled doom in their bid for another clean sweep.
Big Poneke-Kilbirnie pitcher Vincent Swanwick, after his 14 strikeouts and two hits in game two, gave up four hits in the first innings as Australia raced to a 5-0 lead.
The score stayed the same for five innings as the Black Sox could not convert their hits or clear the fence as in game three.
Two more Australian runs off Black Sox' defensive blunders in the sixth innings saw the lead out to 7-0, and it was all over.
"We were totally outclassed. The Australians took it to us, they never let us in the game," Tricker said.
For Australian captain Peter Clout, who has endured his share of hidings from the Black Sox in a five-year international career, the win was sweet.
"It's a special feeling for us to beat the best side in the world," said the 28-year-old from New South Wales.
"We knew we had the ability to do it. We had our best pitcher out there so that gave us a boost and we knew we could hit their pitching.
"We just wanted to get rid of the hoodoo with one win."
- NZPA
