Signs of the Time - the success and success of Hesson and NZ Cricket.

We have been waiting.  A long time, a very very long time.  New Zealand cricket has always been a hit or miss thing with the occasional hot patch (Hadlee and Crowe era), some creditable results especially under Stephen Flemings captaincy.  It's fair to say some players in the Blackcaps featured in top 10 stakes (the aforementioned two for example) and a handful since. If one was to compute under today's system for ranking points there would be a scant few. But there is currently something probably unheard of happening.  New Zealand and players across all formats litter those current rankings.

Let's start with team rankings. In tests we are slowly but surely climbing into the top 5. England, India, South Africa, Australia and Pakistan all ahead (though 5= with England) We are 10 points ahead of a Sri Lanka suffering player drain.  We are 7 points behind Pakistan.  In ODI's we are 4th with just South Africa, Australia and India ahead.  We are a clear 7 points ahead of 5th and 3 points behind 3rd.  The biggest move yet one that doesn't appear so, is T20 ranking.  They are 7th but India are behind them by 4 points, but 7th to 1st have 4 points separating all teams, so a very even contest.

But of wider interest is the players standing.  It's fair to say back in 2012 when Hesson started his tenure, the standings for our individual players would have been barren.  If one looks at the rankings today, New Zealand players litter all ranking lists.  So who and where!!

Test Batting

Kane Williamson  4th

Test Bowling

Trent Boult  7th
Tim Southee  9th

Test All Rounder

Oddly NZ prided itself on it's all rounders but it appears they have gone from that, possibly more due to injury to candidates and success of other options.


ODI Batting

Kane Williamson  4th
Martin Guptill  8th
Ross Taylor  9th

ODI Bowling

Trent Boult  2nd
Matt Henry  8th

T20  Batting

Brendon McCullum 5th
Martin Guptill  10th

T20 Bowling

Nathan McCullum 8th.

And it's a given that towards the end of the year these will change, and probably for the better. The only issues that could manifest itself through the year is the transition of captaincy, and also a capable replacement at 5 in the order.  And serious missing from the team after BMac goes is a batsman capable of floating up or down the order as the game dictates (Ryder???).