Cricket: Some days absolutely nothing goes right

Brendon McCullum walks off after being dismissed by Dale Steyn. Photo / Getty Images

When it comes to test batting lowlights, New Zealand has serious form, and added another line to an ignominious record yesterday.

In the 2036 tests played since 1877, only three teams have lost five wickets for no runs - all of them New Zealand sides.

When Australia visited for the first time in 1945-46, they rolled New Zealand for 42 and 54 at the Basin Reserve.

So impressed were the Aussies they didn't bother returning for 27 years.

In that first innings, New Zealand slumped from 37 for two to 37 for seven.

At Rawalpindi in 1965, New Zealand were all out for 70 in their second innings against Pakistan, tumbling from 59 for four to 59 for nine.

Brendon McCullum, first man out in the five-wicket tumble, put his hand up, and captain Ross Taylor's as well.

Taylor departed in the next over, having added 89.

"We fought incredibly hard early on and again made two very dumb errors from the two senior batters," he said.

"We put the rest of the lineup under pressure. It's pretty frustrating."

Coach John Wright gave the batsmen a spray too.

"Quite rightly he was very upset.

"He certainly wasn't backward in coming forward," McCullum said.

"He said we keep making dumb mistakes and if we're not going to learn from those mistakes we'll continue to have days like this."

New Zealand were "devastated" by the batting botchup "but you've got to own up and make sure you do better next time".