Opening match in Wellington is a sell-out and the challenge of welcoming their noisy neighbours is capturing the imagination
It is easy to be sucked into the narrative that Test cricket lives and breathes courtesy of England fans, whether they’re stocking up at Birmingham New Street or playing the trumpet in technicolour shirts alongside the Barmy Army in Rajkot.
But Test cricket is quite capable of slipping off its jandals and falling into a deckchair far from the strains of Jerusalem. The first Test between the New Zealand and Australia men’s sides, which starts on Thursday at the beautiful Basin Reserve, Wellington, is a sell-out, with the Hagley Oval, Christchurch, venue for the second Test, expected to follow suit.