ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2017

New Zealand in 2016/17 New Zealand began the post-McCullum era in September 2016 in seventh place in the ICC Test rankings, and facing the daunting prospect of a three-match series in India. Twelve months and ten Tests later they were in fourth place – and ahead of their cross-Tasman rivals from Australia for the first time since the rankings were introduced in 2003. So a year of unrelieved triumph, then? Well, not quite. The series in India went to form, with the home side’s spinners dominating affairs. Without the spinning firepower to match, three heavy defeats for New Zealand were the inevitable consequence. But in subsequent Tests at home it was a different story, as the Kiwi seamers and their batsmen were far more at ease on their own, more familiar surfaces. At different times injuries deprived them of the services of one or both members of their much-vaunted opening attack of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, as well as of leading batsman Ross Taylor. Nevertheless, 2-0 series wins were recorded against Pakistan in November and Bangladesh in January, and hopes were high for a successful series against South Africa in March. In the first Test against Pakistan, at Christchurch, a low-scoring match was won by eight wickets in less than three days’ play. Then at Hamilton Pakistan needed an unlikely 369 to win in the fourth innings, and at tea on the final day looked good for a draw at 158-1. But New Zealand’s varied attack took the remaining nine wickets in 25.1 overs for just 72 runs, to secure a win by 138 runs, and the first step up the rankings ladder. The next opponents were an on-the-up Bangladesh, whose most recent Test had brought them a first-ever win over England. The visitors began outstandingly at Wellington, declaring their first innings when only five runs short of a total of 600. But New Zealand kept the first-innings lead down to 46, and when their bowlers saw off Bangladesh in their second innings for only 160, they were left a fourth-innings target of 217. They reached this total with a minimum of fuss and the loss of only three wickets, to leave Bangladesh as the disappointed holders of a new Test record for the ‘highest innings total by a losing side’. The loss of a day’s play in the second Test didn’t prevent another home win. Their two wins in this series look comfortable enough on paper, but in fact, both New Zealand’s winning fourth-innings totals were made against the clock, and the spirit of McCullum lived on as they scored at over 5½ runs an over throughout both innings, and did not allow their opponents to bowl a single maiden in either of them. Rain had caused the loss of at least one full day’s play in each of these series, and it was to play a more decisive part in the series against South Africa in March, twice thwarting the prospect of tense final-day finishes. In the first Test at Dunedin, South Africa were 191 ahead with only four second-innings wickets in hand at the end of Day 4, on a slow pitch on which chasing a substantial target would have been no easy matter. Then down came the rain, and not a ball could be bowled on Day 5. It was the same story in the third Test at Hamilton, where at the end of Day 4 the odds were in favour of New Zealand levelling the series, as South Africa were still 95 runs in arrears with only five second innings wickets remaining; but once again, rain prevented any play on the final day. So the series was decided by South Africa’s eight-wicket win in the second Test at Wellington, where once again the New Zealand spinners were outbowled by their opposite numbers. With the departure of the talismanic McCullum, the scene had been set for new names to press their claims as the new stars of New Zealand cricket. But – apart from the almost-ever-reliable Kane Williamson – none of their players, old or new, met with consistent success. Indeed, the power of the opening pair of Boult and Southee seemed to be on the wane, and although others had their day – Tom Latham with an innings of 177 against Bangladesh, Henry Nicholls with a maiden Test century against South Africa following an innings of 98 against Bangladesh, de Grandhomme with his debut six-for – New Zealand’s successes over 2016/17 were very much team efforts rather than the result of regular, outstanding performances by one or two stars. In 237