New Zealand the third-ranked Test cricket nation in the world?

That's not the case at the moment but that possibility will be the extra incentive, if extra incentive was ever needed, New Zealand will have for its two National Bank Test series this summer.

Bangladesh (two Tests) and England (three) provide the home cricket menu.

If New Zealand could beat both, and assuming no extra series are created in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the ICC Test Championship table would see New Zealand in third place.

New Zealand is ranked fifth at the moment, behind Australia, South Africa and England and Sri Lanka who share equal third place.

However, even if England beats India, then loses to New Zealand, it will not have enough points to head New Zealand on the table.

And if New Zealand could only draw the series with England that would be sufficient to leave both teams in equal third place.

Of interest to cricket fans will be the outcome of the home and away series between Australia and South Africa, the No 1 and 2 teams respectively.

Under the system in use to determine the Championship, South Africa can't go down from its points position at the moment, because it lost both series when they were last played.

New Zealand have removed Australia's safety barrier by drawing their recently completed series.

Australia stands to lose its position if it can't win both series, even just drawing one of them would be enough to push it off the top position.

New Zealand's series with Australia also produced some notable changes in the statistical history between the two countries.

Among the individual batsmen, Nathan Astle was a big mover. His 156 not out became New Zealand's second highest score against Australia while he moved into the top New Zealand batsmen to have scored runs against Australia. He is ninth with 608 runs at 40.53.

Chris Cairns' batting feats moved him to the third highest run scorer against Australia with 863 runs at 34.52, behind John Wright and Martin Crowe.

Adam Parore and Craig McMillan also moved into the 13 players who have scored more than 500 runs against Australia for New Zealand. McMillan is eleventh and McMillan twelfth.

Cairns also swept past John Bracewell and Danny Morrison to be second behind Sir Richard Hadlee on the list of wicket-takers against Australia.

Hadlee is way out in front with 130 with Cairns next on 39 at a costly average of 41.94.

Daniel Vettori is the big mover, however, after his 13-wicket haul in the series. He has taken 33 wickets at 29.33 to be in fifth place on the list.

© CricInfo