Finals place ensures great summer just got a whole lot better

It wasn't the greatest way to make the VB Series finals, having to rely on how other teams played, but New Zealand's inclusion is a great reward for an innovative summer campaign.

Now it is time for the 'think tank' that formulated the game plan that effectively shut down the great Australian bowlers, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, and put the pressure on the Australian batting order, the two Test match openers excepted, to turn up a game plan to end the South African dominance of ODIs against New Zealand.

Much has been made of the record between the two sides and South Africa does have a marked dominance, but some would say that should make New Zealand's odds of success all the higher.

However it is looked at it is high time New Zealand began to get things going their way more often.

There is also the thought that in the plethora of ODIs between the two sides in recent years New Zealand has rarely been at full strength. If Chris Cairns, Shane Bond and Dion Nash can get into shape for the finals, then New Zealand has every chance of really putting the South Africans to the test.

The requirements for success are not much different to what they were before the series started.

An opening combination is a must. Nathan Astle is due again and it is a shame that more has not been made of bringing Brendon McCullum through. With him gaining experience and performing reasonably well there has to be plenty of long-term benefit in his being exposed to this sort of pressure.

There is no doubt that Lou Vincent offers more run scoring potential down the order.

The other aspect has to be the bowling at the death. Resolving this issue must be a key project for the remainder of the summer.

Making the finals has offered up to three more matches which, when they are put with the five games to be played against England and more at the Sharjah tournament, provide a chance to get the matter sorted so that whoever are entrusted with the duty can develop more confidence in the role before the World Cup.

There has to be plans within plans from here on in.

But in the immediate future, the pressure is on the batsmen. In the eight games played to date, Cairns is the best of the New Zealand batsmen with 257 runs while Stephen Fleming has 242, Craig McMillan 202, Chris Harris 200, Astle, in only three games, has 106, while Adam Parore has 107.

More centuries are clearly required by the batsmen to get the sort of totals that will win such crucial matches.

In the bowling area, the emergence of Bond has been reflected in the fact he has 20 wickets at 4.40 runs per over, 10 wickets more than anyone else in the New Zealand side. Cairns has 10 (4.72) while Harris has eight (4.53), Daniel Vettori seven (4.20) and James Franklin (5.20) and Nash six (4.37) each.

There must be a temptation to continue to expose Andre Adams to the top level. He brings the sort of outrageous hitting ability that could prove vital in swinging a game in its latter stages.

The feats of the CLEAR Black Caps have captured the imagination of New Zealand cricket fans and the general public in a manner not seen since the 1992 World Cup.

Making the final will only increase that interest and the stage is set for another week of late nights while the tides of fortune wax and wane through what has been an outstanding summer of cricket.

And in the middle of it all England arrive on Tuesday for their tour.

Long may the fine weather last.