Related Links
Allied Nationwide Finance Basin Reserve
Friday 19 March – Tuesday 23 March
11am start
Head to head
Since the 1945/46 season the BLACKCAPS have played Australia in 19 Test series, with New Zealand only winning three. Australia has secured 11 while five have been drawn.
Matches played: 48
Australia won: 24
BLACKCAPS won: 7
Drawn: 17
Australia have dominated in recent years with New Zealand last holding the Trans-Tasman Trophy in 1990 thanks largely to a five wicket bag from Sir Richard Hadlee in the one off Test match at the Basin Reserve. Since then Australia have retained the trophy eight times with only one of those series resulting in a draw.
Recent form
The Australians are in dominant form in Test cricket, having brushed aside the West Indies and Pakistan at home. You have to go back to the Ashes match at the Oval last year to find their last loss.
Australia: WWWWD
The BLACKCAPS have shown signs that they are a Test team on the way up, winning the recent match against Bangladesh and drawing at tight series with Pakistan.
BLACKCAPS: WDLWL
Daniel Vettori on the pitch…
“I think the nature of the pitch brings Brent Arnel into the equation. I think we will have a good hard look at it tomorrow, it will have a bit of drying today but its probably going to be a typical Wellington wicket where its got a little bit in it early on and then flattens out to a really good Test match wicket.”
“It depends how much it dries over the next while, if you looked at it now you would say its got a bit of greenness in it, a bit of moisture so you would look at the seamers, but we will delay that decision as late as we can.”
“We are trying to pick a team that can cover every option. You know what you are going to get when you come to the Basin, as long as the weather has been fine and preparation has been good then you get a good Test wicket. Its something we have got to play better on, our first innings batting hasn’t been as good here so in this Test match that’s going to be the key.”
Player spotlight
Peter Ingram
The BLACKCAPS top order batsman has been very successful at the Basin Reserve this season during the Plunket Shield. He made history on this ground with fellow Stags opener Jamie How, sharing a record partnership of 428. Ingram’s contribution was 245 off 286 balls to helped secure victory over the Firebirds.
Ricky Ponting
The Australian captain and right-hand batsman will be looking to lead from the front. He’s been on the international Test scene since 1995 playing 142 Tests and amassing over 11,000 Test runs. In his last Test against Pakistan in January Ponting scored a double century.
Brent Arnel
The 31 year old right arm medium-fast bowler is set to make his debut for the BLACKCAPS at the Basin Reserve. He first got the call up in 2009 by unfortunately injury prevented him from playing in a Test. His best figures this season in the Plunket shield were 6 for 18 and he is currently placed third on the Mitre 10 MVP overall rankings for the Plunket Shield. Unseen by the Australians, Arnel offers the element of surprise.
Mitchell Johnson
He was explosive during the ODIs against the BLACKCAPS and fireworks are expected again this week. The left arm fast bowler has played 32 tests, taking 143 wickets and is ranked by the ICC as the third best Test bowler. His bowling has been known to cause damage not only to the stumps, but to players themselves. He broke South African captain Graeme Smith’s hand twice in two months, and split Jacques Kallis’ chin open.
Facts
- Daniel Vettori needs 206 runs to reach 4,000
- Michael Hussey is 181 runs short of 4,000
- Australia are ranked third on the Test Championship rankings, New Zealand are sixth
- Australia’s highest ranked bowler: Mitchell Johnson 3rd
- New Zealand’s highest ranked bowler: Daniel Vettori 14th
- Australia’s hightest ranked batsman: Michael Clarke 6th
- New Zealand’s hightest ranked batsman: Ross Taylor 15th
What the players are saying:
“It’s one of your biggest challenges in Test cricket. I think If you cant get up for that then your not going to get up for much. They have got some of the best batsmen in the world, so to compete and do well against them should be the thing you look forward to.” – Daniel Vettori
“I am very keen to get out there and play some Test cricket. We haven’t played Test cricket for a couple of months now so the guys are pretty excited.” – Michael Clarke
ICC Rankings Outcome
Australia must win the two-Test series in New Zealand to hold onto third place in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship.
Anything less than a 2-0 whitewash or 1-0 victory with one match drawn will see Ricky Ponting’s side drop to fourth beneath Sri Lanka.
Australia can only close the gap on South Africa in second with a whitewash, which would halve the two point gap between the sides. Any other outcome will see Australia’s rating drop.
New Zealand will remain sixth unless it suffers a whitewash, which would see it slip below Pakistan. However, Daniel Vettori’s team can close the gap on fifth-placed England, depending on the outcome of the series in Bangladesh.
A draw or better will see New Zealand improve its rating, with a whitewash boosting this by eight points. That outcome would see Australia drop seven rating points, reducing its advantage over Ashes rival England.
