My blog has been a bit quiet of late, there is a reason for that and it will spring back into life very shortly, but I could not sit here and not write about something that all New Zealand cricket supporters have been waiting for a very long time to celebrate. Finally, we are world champions of something in cricket.
You cannot be a sport-loving kiwi without a large degree of attachment to rugby (and I am also very happy the Blue put their 18-year super rugby losing streak to bed) but for me, cricket has always been my defining sport both in terms of what I played but also in terms of what I follow. Growing up I would sit on the couch for the majority of any cricket match I could. To say I have been waiting my whole life for this is a bit of hyperbole, but it is also not that far from the truth. And being a follower of the NZ cricket team has not always been an easy task.
1990, 2015, 2019 all have been times when we had the doors to our cricket-loving hearts opened wide in the grand anticipation of what could happen. The 2019 ODI World Cup was as close as you can possibly come to winning something and not, but we don't need to talk about that anymore. Now, in what is unarguably the golden age of New Zealand cricket, we have something to really celebrate. It was a gruelling match to watch for most of it, until the last day at least. A match that seemed to be slow-walking to a draw burst into life and there was an hour at the end of the match with Williamson and Taylor methodically crossing of the runs that could be soaked up and enjoyed, with only limited nerves.
Well done our mighty Black Caps. World beaters. We would have been proud of you as always to just be in a final but now we will need to readjust our expectations forever :)
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