WELLINGTON Dec 13 (Reuters) – New Zealand reacted
with understated pride on Tuesday after their young cricket team
completed their first test win over Australia in 18 years and
first across the Tasman Sea in more than quarter of a century.
The Auckland-based New Zealand Herald splashed the victory
celebrations over its the front page with the focus on bowler
Doug Bracewell’s match-winning six for 40 in Australia’s second
innings.
The fact Bracewell did not win the man-of-the-match award,
which was chosen via a mobile-phone poll by Australian-based
fans, did not escape attention with former New Zealand
cricketers voicing their disbelief at the decision.
“MOM to the losing side…makes sense. I suppose Doug’s
spell of 6 of 26 off nine didn’t have an impact,” former New
Zealand all rounder Andre Adams said on his Twitter page.
With Monday’s match finishing in time for the early evening
news, both major television channels gave the result a prominent
place in the opening few minutes of their bulletins.
The tongue-in-cheek sports news show “The Crowd Goes Wild”
on Prime television, which is fronted by former New Zealand
cricketer Mark Richardson, also led with the victory, with the
former opening batsman presenting the item with a large grin.
State-owned Radio New Zealand led with the result in their
Morning Report news bulletins on Tuesday before a leadership
change in one of the country’s major political parties took over
the agenda.
Herald chief sports writer David Leggat said the result
meant the Black Caps could now look the Australians in the eye
again after 20 years of playing the role of the kow-towed
younger brother.
They had “won back respect which had been lost with a lame
display in the first test at Brisbane” he wrote in reference to
the nine-wicket loss at the Gabba.
Continued…
