48 hours: Who will rise up from the crashes of summer?

Right from the get-go, Easter has been about making a comeback after taking a tumble. So this seems as good a time as any to rummage through a few of the knock-downs endured by cricket this season, and take a guess at how many resurrections are in store.

Jumping the gun, you say, with the Sri Lankan series still to go? Well, with the Super 12 about to kick into serious action and the strong scent of the Lions in the air, cricket has just about done its dash.

Cricket has launched a decent sort of reprisal against rugby by maintaining public interest until the end of March. It can largely thank the brilliance of the Australians for that.

Cricket is pushing its luck, though, trying to keep this up into April. The cheek of it. Don't they know the national obsession has got the country booked from February?

The third and final test between New Zealand and Australia over Easter, therefore, is the symbolic end of our sporting summer.

Who of the following can rise from the crashes?

The Black Caps: Hopelessly outclassed by Australia in all versions of the game - which now range from about three to 30 hours. Apart from inventing a game where the rules include Australian passport-holders having to play blindfolded, our chances look very dim. New Zealand could easily go another decade without winning any sort of series against the Ockers.

Lou Vincent: Maybe the first batsman in test history to have eliminated the forward defensive shot from his armoury - a brave decision, but one which might be worth reconsidering. Shouldering arms to deliveries that can rattle the stumps is not a good look.

But Vincent has talent aplenty and once he's confident enough about a revised defensive technique, he looks test class by New Zealand standards.

Might have a few resurrections to go, but if it's good enough for Craig McMillan, it's certainly good enough for Vincent.

The Fast Bowlers: No offence, James Franklin and Chris Martin, but ... Shane Bond and Daryl Tuffey would be a far more dangerous new ball pair.

After his back problems, though, it's hard to see Bond making a return. And even if he does, will he last and still be able to muster the same pace? Tuffey's brush with a handycam is nothing compared to his crisis of confidence at the bowling crease.

Once bitten, the selectors might be twice shy. It's a great shame, but a combined Bond-Tuffey return looks a long-odds bet.

The Umpires: Englishman Jeremy Lloyd made another outstanding case over the weekend for the greater use of technology.

It pays to be restrained when criticising umpires - it is a very difficult job requiring a ridiculous amount of concentration - but if it's good enough to study replays to decide if a four has been scored, why not use the video for matters that matter much more? Still, Lloyd clearly bungled badly with the James Franklin bat-pad dismissal yesterday and he was earlier nabbed giving Hamish Marshall out lbw, when Marshall was instead caught.

As these incidents keep piling up, confidence in umpires will be beyond saving. The use of cameras is inevitable.

The Crowds: We're a one-day sort of country, partly because it's tough to endure this sort of pain for any longer than that. Test cricket's best chance of resurrection is a riveting series between the Black Caps and Australia. The trouble is, really big crowds won't turn up when we keep getting walloped. Test cricket is stuck in the doldrums, unfortunately.

Michael Slater-Martin Crowe commentary partnership: Will they - like the naughty boys in the class - have to be split up? They just aren't getting on, but then TV likes this sort of thing for ratings purposes. Crowe v Slater could be the best thing about telly since Bill Ralston started butting heads with Prime.

Next stop Dean Lonergan's Fight for Life maybe? The basic debating point is this: Slater says the New Zealand batsmen should treat each delivery on merit whatever the situation so the bowlers aren't free to do what they like.

Crowe seems to advocate shutting up shop, although maybe he has been trapped down an alley he never intended taking, because this wasn't his usual MO at the crease.

Anyway, former test opening dasher Slater is ahead of Crowe on sensible points. Stay tuned, this is a partnership which may be resurrected.