The Offspin’s Alex Braae celebrates the Black Caps’ monumental overnight World Test Championship victory, and the culmination of six days of intense early-morning podcasting.
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Six nights of tension. Two years of dominating the international circuit. Eight years of cultural reform and building a team that could take on the world. A lifetime of disappointment and agonising defeats.
All of it culminated this morning when the Black Caps won the World Test Championship final, in the process becoming the first team ever to claim that title.
At about midnight, the cricket fanatics at The Spinoff realised that something incredible might be about to happen. A snap decision was made to gather at the office and see it unfold.
On a brutal pitch for batting, India set the Black Caps a tricky target. The stage was set for a historic batting collapse, in the grand tradition of New Zealand cricket.
But in the moment, two of New Zealand’s greatest ever batsmen stood up. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor came together at 44-2, with just under 100 still needed. With poise and calm assurance, they set about their task, one ball at a time.
In the office, the belief started to build. A couple of chances were dropped. An LBW decision was overturned on review. With the target in sight, Williamson and Taylor started to unfurl shots that any batsman in the world would be proud of.
Immediately after Taylor brought up the winning runs, The Offspin assembled in The Spinoff’s studio. Regular hosts Simon Day and Alex Braae were joined by Justin Latif, a jilted lover of cricket once lost to the game, and brought back by the romance of a team finally ready to fulfil their promise.
This episode is an attempt to process the feeling of being a New Zealand cricket fan when there is finally something monumental to celebrate. It is a tribute both to the team and sport that we love, and to the community of people who share that passion.
Follow The Offspin on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast provider.