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While Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram reflected on their promotion to the top of cricket's one-day bowling and allrounder lists, Stuart Broad also had reason to smile after making his own dramatic, though comparatively understated, rise up the rankings.
England pace bowler Broad's ability to regroup after being pasted by New Zealand's openers in Wellington to help propel the tourists to a confidence-boosting six-wicket win at Eden Park on Friday night was rewarded by the 21-year-old improving 18 places to 30th on the International Cricket Council's (ICC) ODI bowling stats.
After conceding 32 off three overs at Seddon Park, the Leicestershire right armer rebounded with three for 32 from his full allocation in Auckland - an analysis that read two for 12 after seven overs before he got caught up in the zenith of Oram's 88-run assault.
Broad is becoming something of an expert at pulling himself off the canvas - at the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in September Indian Yuvraj Singh clubbed a remarkable six successive sixes off an over that might have ruined a weaker bowler.
But Broad simply shrugged it off as a learning experience, part of an education for a player who first considered following the pathway international forged by his father Chris, an opening batsman.
Bored with standing in the field with nothing else to do Broad took up bowling and made rapid progress through the grades until making his debut against Pakistan in April 2006.
Twenty three games later Broad has 36 wickets despite taking just five in his first six matches.
Among England's bowlers with at least 30 ODI wickets, Broad's strikerate of 33.8 puts him second behind Andrew Flintoff by just one decimal point.
However, the most important thing for Broad is that he continues to develop his bowling.
"At first, I barely picked up a wicket and I wondered where one was coming from," he said.
"I think the more you play, the more you learn how to take wickets in different scenarios. I feel I'm learning when to bowl balls and when to bowl a bouncer a bit better, but it does depend on which role you're doing.
"Coming on first change, when Jimmy (James Anderson) and Ryan (Sidebottom) have bowled well up front, it's a lot easier to come on when the pressure is on the batsman and get some wickets so that has helped me out massively."
After paying the penalty for bowling too short to Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum in Hamilton Broad and his fellow seamers, reverted to a tried and true plan for game three.
"We were too aggressive (in Hamilton) so afterwards we had a chat and decided to go back to what we'd done well in Sri Lanka (in October).
"We stuck to the basics of bowling line and length and variations of line and length instead of being too aggressive with the short ball.
"We had plan B's set up if certain things weren't happening. (Bowling coach) Otis (Gibson) implemented it all," Broad said.
"The main message was to get back to our areas and build pressure rather than chase wickets."
The rethink worked wonders as New Zealand were restricted to 234 for nine, a marked contrast from Ryder and McCullum's unbroken opening stand of 165 in 18 overs three days before.
Broad's life was also made easier by Anderson removing the explosive McCullum to give England an instant boost.
"When Jimmy and Ryan bowled so well early on and we got a couple of wickets, that first change position becomes that much easier when you can settle in and make the batsman try and hit you," Broad said.
Broad, who made his test debut at Colombo in December taking one for 95, claimed the scalps of Jamie How, Scott Styris and Kyle Mills was more satisfied with his economy rate - particularly after the towelling he received in Hamilton.
"In one-day cricket my role is to cut down runs. I would be happier getting none for 35 than five for 65."
Meanwhile, both teams arrived in Napier yesterday ahead of Wednesday's fourth and penultimate ODI at McLean Park.
Scott Styris, Peter Fulton, Jeetan Patel and Iain O'Brien rejoin the New Zealand squad today after being released to play domestic cricket. Potential debutant Daniel Flynn also arrives as cover for Ryder, who will undergo more treatment on his sprained left ankle.
- NZPA
