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Alex Chapman: The magical quality of New Zealand's pathway to Test cricket
Alex Chapman • December 12th, 2025 10:06 am
Michael Rae bowling for Canterbury in the Plunket Shield | Photo: Marty Melville/Photosport
Here’s something for you to ponder: what do the Plunket Shield and the Wizard of Oz have in common?
There’s no Tin Man, Lion or Scarecrow in cricket. Though, I’m sure many of us would pay to see Kane Williamson in ruby slippers.
But the first two days of the second Test have been a reminder of the importance of pathways.
If you have a look at this New Zealand XI, almost half of them were this time last year plying their trade in the domestic game.
A couple of them were in and out of white-ball squads, and found success in doing so.
But this is Test cricket. It is brutal. It is relentless.
And it, well, it Tests you for five days - but, let’s run through these five.
Michael Rae sends statisticians scrambling at the Basin | Sport Nation Cricket
Michael Rae’s the most-recent player on account of alphabetical order so let’s start with him.
Blackcap No. 294 took 3/66 on day one and has one of the two wickets so far in the Windies second innings. He can also now claim credit to an obscure stat, but hey, it’s cricket, we love those – the second player in the history of Test cricket to score a five for their first runs.
Stick that on a Speights bottle cap.
His fellow-debutant, Mitch Hay, has kept superbly, and combined power when the balls allowed it with patience when they didn’t on his way to 61.
He’ll rue whacking it down a fielder’s throat, who was in a planned position poised for exactly that shot, but he’ll learn and grow from it with more time with the side. When that’ll next be is a wider conversation.
Mitchell Hay makes a statement with fifty on Test debut | Sport Nation Cricket
Coincidentally, their Canterbury teammate, Zak Foulkes is the most-recent Test cap after them - 291.
He’s maybe struggled a little in this Test, but his body will be bloody sore, and at 22, he’s still young and learning his craft. But he’s shown his swing is an enormous skill and he showed great ticker with the bat.
Blair Tickner, whilst very unfortunately is injured for the rest of this match and you’d think, series, utilised bounce and has been patient before getting his crack. Just quietly, great numbers this summer: 13 wickets from four games for the Blackcaps.
Blair Tickner's double strike stifles the West Indies' fast start to second Test | Sport Nation Cricket
And then there's the man who in his third Test has become the leader of the attack in Jacob Duffy.
I harped on about his journey last week, it’s on the Sport Nation website or wherever you get your podcasts. But look, he’s gun, the outswinger is hot, and he’s a work horse - just look at his output so far this series.
Chuck in others not in this match - Nathan Smith, Ben Sears and Will O’Rourke (Cornwall) - and whatever special juice the Blackcaps give their new players to find immediate success needs to be shared around professional organisations.
Who’d have thought, maybe paths can in fact lead to success. Just follow the yellow brick road.
Tune into The Opening Stand with Alex Chapman - 9am weekdays (10am Sat/Sun) on Sport Nation ahead of each day's play during the Blackcaps vs West Indies Test series.
