Cricket: Black Caps quietly confident

Martin Guptill has hit form ahead of the two test series against Australia. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand's cricketers flew out to Australia yesterday, wary of the wounded animal awaiting them but buoyant about their chances of rare test success.

The black cap hasn't triumphed over the baggy green in a test since 1993, and you have to go back eight more years to find the last time it happened across the ditch, however there's a pervading sense that this Australian team is ripe for the picking.

The halcyon days of McGrath, Warne and Gilchrist seem but a distant memory, replaced by a team that capitulated to 21-9 in a recent test loss to South Africa, threatening New Zealand's own mark of mediocrity, before stumbling to 47 all out.

But New Zealand captain Ross Taylor was understandably cautious about waking a sleeping giant with messages of bravado.

"Any time you play Australia at home they're always competitive,'' he said. "They haven't played as well as they would have liked in recent months but they're still a very good side and they're still a team that sets the benchmark.

"Australia's always tough in the own conditions, people say they're down but I don't think they are.''

Having said that, Taylor left no doubt about the Black Caps' ambitions. "We're under no illusions. We're going over there to win.''

It may be a familiar message from tours past but it seems more than just misplaced optimism this time. New Zealand's batting order is as strong and settled as it has been in recent years, and great white hope Kane Williamson, ex-Aussie Dean Brownlie and opener Martin Guptill all racked up huge centuries in the last round of the Plunket Shield.

Guptill, on his first tour of Australia, echoed his captain's sentiment and said the Black Caps' top order had to be on top of their game.

"We just have to do our jobs right. If everyone can do that then we're going to go very well in this test series.''

Guptill was pleased to be among the runs for Auckland recently, denied a double-century against Canterbury only after running out of batting partners, though he conceded domestic cricket and facing Australia at the Gabba were entirely different beasts.

"They've been the top dog over the last few years,'' he said. "We're going to have to show some aggression over there, we can't really back off.

"They're going to bring the fight to us and we're going to have to take it back to them.''

A big part of that fight from the Australian attack will come in the form of teenage sensation Pat Cummins. The latest in the long line of Australian quicks, Cummins became the second-youngest player in test history to take a six-wicket haul in the second test in South Africa, sending ample warning to Guptill and co.

"We haven't seen too much of him but ... we'll be ready for him,'' Guptill said. "He looks pretty quick, but we're going to put some plans in place to be able to counter that.''

After playing cricket since childhood Guptill said there was no fear in facing deliveries at speeds of 150km/h, though he admitted to some apprehension when playing New Zealand's big brother.

"I don't feel too bad at the moment but I'm sure getting closer to the first test I'll start getting a bit nervous and a few butterflies in the stomach.''

The flipside of that, as Taylor explained, was the prospect of success. "I always enjoy playing in Australia and I'm looking forward to it,'' Taylor said. "If you score runs and get wickets against Australia then you'll be remembered as a good player.''

Blacks Caps in Australia - Itinerary
Australia A v New Zealand at Brisbane, Nov 24-27, 2011.
1st Test: Australia v New Zealand at Brisbane, Dec 1-5, 2011.
2nd Test: Australia v New Zealand at Hobart, Dec 9-13, 2011.