50 Tests
They may have made their debuts two and a half years apart, but paceman Tim Southee and captain Kane Williamson are set to bring up a half century of Tests for New Zealand. A great effort from two very important men in the BLACKCAPS set up. Here’s hoping for another 50!
Taylor to pass hero
Ross Taylor’s a big stats man and he will be acutely aware that he needs just 39 more runs to pass his late mentor Martin Crowe’s record of 5444 Test runs for New Zealand. That would take him into third place on the all time list, behind Brendon McCullum (6453) and Stephen Fleming (7172).
Local fight
Look for a far more competitive Zimbabwe second time out. They’ve got enough talent in their batting line up to foot it with the visitors and will back their bowlers to chip out the wickets if they have runs to play with. Seeing off the new ball will be crucial to how their batsmen fear.
Spin Twins
Young tweakers Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner weren’t required to perform any heroics in the opening exchange, but with the second Test wicket predicted to be even lower and slower, then the spinners may be needed to bowl some big overs and eek out some tough wickets. An exciting prospect for two exciting young spin bowlers.
On the collar
The BLACKCAPS charity Heart Kids will be featuring on the collar of each New Zealand Test shirt for the rest of the tour. Keep an eye out for the little logo and make sure you support the cause this August - which is Heart Kids Awareness month.
