New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (left) and Australian captain Aaron Finch speak prior to the first One Day International (ODI) cricket match between Australia and NZ. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (left) and Australian captain Aaron Finch speak prior to the first One Day International (ODI) cricket match between Australia and NZ. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Five reasons why…the Chappell-Hadlee series is appointment viewing
1. It's been a while
What were you doing on March 14, 2020? Panicking? It was probably panicking.
That would have been a reasonable reaction if you were following the news and being bombarded with headlines like: 'Masters postponed'; 'Six Nations shambles';'Premier League suspended'; 'IOC remains committed to Tokyo Olympics'.
Actually, that last one sounds quite cheery and, in hindsight, quite prophetic.
The headline in the cricketing world was more on the panicky side of things: 'Black Caps heading back to New Zealand, ODI series cancelled'.
Yes, this series will be the first since that series, abandoned after one extremely strange game.
It was won by Australia, as they generally are when played on that side of the Tasman, but nothing else was normal in the nascent stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The SCG stands were empty, at a time when that was blessedly novel. Captains Kane Williamson and Aaron Finch unthinkingly shook hands and reacted in mock horror, which was pretty cute. And fielders celebrated wickets by ditching the high five and instead tapping feet, which was very cute.
Less cute, though, was the next two matches being cancelled and the teams taking two-and-a-half years to meet again.
2. It will be a while
Some crazy folks might think New Zealand and Australia should play cricket against each other more regularly, pandemic or no pandemic (personally prefer no pandemic).
Cricket is popular in both countries, you see, and regular sporting battles between the nations work well in other codes.
Unfortunately, logic is no match for economics - and apparently black caps and canary yellow are no match at all.
How else to explain the fact it's been more than five years since the last completed ODI series between the sides, when the Black Caps won 2-0 at home?
That was the third Chappell-Hadlee series in the space of a year, but no one really wants to see innings like Marcus Stoinis' incredible unbeaten century at Eden Park or efforts like Trent Boult's 6-33 at Seddon Park.
Sure, the abandoned series exacerbated the drought, as did travel restrictions that scuttled Australian attempts to host New Zealand the last two summers.
But there's no explanation for the absence of an ODI series between the countries on the ICC's recently released Future Tours Programme for 2023-2027.
So, enjoy this week, five years in the making, and be sure to catch the resumption of this rivalry in five years' time.
Martin Guptill of New Zealand and Mitchell Starc of Australia have words after Guptill calls for a review during the first One Day International (ODI) cricket match. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
3. The Black Caps are still good
Now, in fairness, the Black Caps have in recent years faced Australia a few times outside of bilateral ODI series.
Who could forget the laudable loss in the final of last year's T20 World Cup? Or the dramatic 3-0 test series defeat over Christmas 2019? Or the stirring setback in pool play of that year's ODI World Cup?
Beautiful memories, although on second thought perhaps we play our neighbours enough already.
Those encounters all came in the undoubted peak years of this Black Caps team, and if we are in the waning days of that peak, the trip down still has its highs.
New Zealand are, after all, the top-ranked side in ODI cricket, warming up for this clash with a historic series victory in the West Indies.
Australia, on the other hand, were bowled out for 141 while losing to Zimbabwe in the same northern Queensland conditions in which the Chappell-Hadlee will be contested. All of which will only add to the excitement when Finch is lifting the trophy on Sunday.
4. We're not over 50-over cricket
It's difficult to escape the feeling that the 50-over game is becoming the Larry Hemsworth of international cricket, overlooked and overshadowed by its beloved brothers.
When Ben Stokes wanted to cut one format from his overloaded calendar, it was always going to be ODIs, and few would blame Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme for escaping their central contracts to seek T20 riches around the world.
But one-day cricket rules and has rhythms that can't be replaced by tests or Twenty20s: the all-important first 15, the steady accumulation in the middle overs, the big-swinging freedom of the finale.
Ideally, there would be room for all three formats to flourish. But with the T20 game expanding like a beer snake, I'll settle at this point for survival.
5. ABs have had sufficient attention
After the final whistle blew on the All Blacks' thumping of Argentina, Ian Foster could have been forgiven for turning to his assistant and exclaiming, 'We did it, Joe!'
And although Schmidt and the overhauled coaching staff do deserve praise, it's pretty obvious the credit largely belongs to us.
Like an overbearing parent who only wants the best for their precious little one, we hassled the All Blacks into being good again. I see no other explanation.
If it weren't for our encouragement, support, constructive criticism and repeated calls for them all to be sacked, there's no way the All Blacks could have produced that result.
Now, let's do it for the Black Caps. They haven't won a match in any format across the ditch since Hobart 2011. Pathetic.
Sack Gary Stead? Drop Kane Williamson? No…that doesn't sound right. Let's just start badgering them until we find something that does - or until they bring home the trophy.
