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NZ Cricket Hit For 6: Have The Difficulties Of England's Past Helped Spark A Brighter Future?
The rivalry between New Zealand and England in cricket is quite old. Both teams have faced each other 222 times, combining Test, ODI and T20 matches. England won 103 times, while New Zealand won only 63 times; 56 matches were finished without results. However, the Kiwis have one of the best cricket teams in history. Has this rivalry helped New Zealand to build its own success in any way?
Off the Bat
Currently, the Kiwis are among the best in the world, topped only by Australia and India; the creators of cricket occupy the 6th position. Nevertheless, England has better records in matches against New Zealand.
Anyway, when both national teams go head-to-head, it's always a great match. Cricket is also a popular sport for betting. There are plenty of websites, like Bet9ja review bringing the latest news from the cricket world.
Cricket was brought to New Zealand by the British in the 19th century. The first match ever registered on the island dates from 1842, making the Black Caps one of the oldest cricket teams in the world. There are also records of teams from Australia and England touring the country since 1863.
Rising from the Ashes
Those who see the Black Caps at the top of the world will be forgiven if they forget about the dreadful years between 2009 and 2014. During this period, they won only six matches out of 29 played; there were also 15 defeats and eight draws in the stats. Brandon McCullum was appointed the team's captain in 2012, replacing Ross Taylor. He would still see a losing streak of five matches, the worst in almost 50 years.
Nevertheless, McCullum would make history later on as an inspirational leader, capable of lifting the Black Caps from such an unfortunate condition to the top of the world. The most impressive comebacks were noticed in One Day International (ODI) and Test rankings, which moved from the bottom to the Top 3. In 2014, he led the team to the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup, the team's best campaign in the history of the competition.
During his captaincy, McCullum turned the team more aggressive. He also encouraged his colleagues to be innovative and play boldly. Brandon also created the conditions for his colleagues to thrive and be part of the decision-making process, in incredibly beneficial impacts in the field. Brandon McCullum retired in 2019, leaving a formidable legacy to the national team.
Sparks Everywhere
The NZC (New Zealand Cricket) invests heavily in top-notch technology to assist the Black Caps. Two companies are now sourcing tech solutions for the national team: Spark New Zealand and Qrious. Those tech companies can bring their expertise to the field with data processing and digital technology.
Thanks to those partnerships, the NZC can now store and analyse more information about its players than any other team worldwide. The NZC is well aware that technology plays a vital role in top teams worldwide across several sports.
