The Sporting Day: The Chappell-Hadlee Trophy/Twenty20 Match

Australia and New Zealand have always had a great rivalry, dating back to the infant days of these two diamonds of the Empire. It is a sibling rivalry staged on a national scale, miniature battles for superiority ensconced in a brotherly love. Those miniature battles usually take place in the world of international sports and tend to be viewed as death battles by the two nations. Whether it is on the cricket pitch, the rugby league field, the rugby paddock, the netball court…the intensity remains high and the meaning all the more important. The infamous underarm delivery still remains a dominant undercurrent of international relations between the two nations.

This week, only a short time after Australia downed New Zealand in the final of the netball world cup and at a time when Australian rugby is seriously considering a New Zealander for the head coaching job of the Wallabies, we get prepared for another trans-Tasman war. This time, we are on the cricket pitch for a three game series for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and a one off Twenty20 clash.

Australia enters the series desperate to add the only major eligible trophy in world cricket that they do not possess. The last time the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy was on the line, Australia were humiliated by a gritty New Zealand team in a batting-second clean sweep. They handed Australia its first ever ten wicket defeat in over 600 ODI’s in game one, they broke the world record for the biggest ever run chase recorded in game two and then broke that record two days later in game three. Australian cricket had not been beaten with such force and dominance in over a decade-and-a-half. Retribution is high on the Australian agenda. For New Zealand, the stakes are just as high. They are playing for respect and the future of the game in the Shaky Isles. The Kiwis have been heavily maligned from both within and without in recent times, a number of stars abandoning the team and their international future due to a clash with coach John Bracewell while nearly all and sundry have criticised the level the team plays at and their inability to win. New Zealand will be out to prove they are now a united and competitive team. They want respect and they will play like a team who craves it.

There is no doubt Australia have a major edge in terms of talent. That has nearly always been the case. But New Zealand have overachieved plenty of times in the past so anybody prepared to write this series off as uncompetitive is engaging in a very dangerous practice that could cost not only reputation but cash. New Zealand always lifts for a clash with big brother, no matter what the sport. This series will be no different.

Australia again fields an imposing team of cricketing giants. Australia has the top three ranked ODI batsmen in the world (Ponting, Symonds, Hayden) and three others in the top fourteen (Hussey, Clarke, Gilchrist). New Zealand, conversely, have only two in the top fifty in their touring squad with all-rounder Scott Styris the top ranked at number twenty-three. Australia also have three top-ten ranked bowlers but New Zealand match up much better in this department with three on-tour bowlers ranked in the top twenty. If the New Zealand bowlers can restrict the Australia’s batting firepower, this series is going to be a cracker to watch.

The Kiwis best chance of victory, however, comes in the Twenty20 affair. Australia have never particularly cared for the format and with Michael Clarke in charge, Australia have again shown that they place very little importance on the affair. The Kiwis have some big hitters and plenty of all-rounders, who are more valuable in the micro format of the game than any other. The Kiwis look value in the Twenty20 affair.

Australia and New Zealand begin their two week war tonight with the Twenty20 clash in Perth.

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