BLACKCAPS coach Mike Hesson’s given his young boys-in-beige the tick of approval after they completed a 3-0 ANZ Twenty20 series whitewash of Bangladesh and retained the side’s number one world ranking.
The series featured four debutants and Colin de Grandhomme was the only player not in his 20s during the third and final clash at the Mount yesterday.
“Really pleased with the series as a whole,” Hesson said as the team broke up in Tauranga.
“We were put under pressure at times during all three games with both bat and ball and different players stood up and that’s critical for us as a developing side even though we are ranked number one in the world.”
That world ranking is not to be scoffed at given the proliferation of T20 cricket around the world.
“It shows our consistency over the last 18 months to two years, we’ve been the most consistent side in Twenty20 cricket around the world and in different conditions having payed in India and other places around the world.
“It’s a nice mantel to hold although it doesn’t drive us so much, but it is nice to reflect on.”
The shortest form of the game is custom-made for explosive cricketers who can be match winners on their day - such as Corey Anderson at Bay Oval yesterday.
Hesson believes New Zealand is blessed to have a group of players with the necessary attributes.
“The nature of Twenty20 is that you need guys who can turn the game on it’s head. You need that with both bat and ball and we’re fortunate enough that we’ve got some really talented players. Sure they might be a little bit inexperienced but they’ve certainly got the ability to change a game on their day and that’s what T20 is about.
“Some of our match winners are quite young and raw but there’s some really good signs there.”
The BLACKCAPS coach is also taking heart from the ability of his new charges to step up to international cricket, with Lockie Fergusson, Tom Bruce and Ben Wheeler all transferring their strong domestic form onto the big stage.
“It’s a nice sign for us moving forward that we can bring players in from domestic cricket in the McDonald’s Super Smash and they can do well which is great.”
The BLACKCAPS next Twenty20 is a one off encounter with South Africa at Eden Park on February 17th.
