Tomorrow in Auckland, any feelings of weariness or lack of motivation should be banished when they arrive at Eden Park and feel the buzz from the crowd of more than 20,000 confidently anticipated despite the start of the season in both rugby codes.
New Zealanders being optimists and consistent followers of Lee Germon and his men have turned the corner by ending the run of four England wins and that they are more than capable of levelling the one-day series by winning here and at Wellington in the final match on Tuesday.
At the same time even the most unsophisticated of cricket followers - the ones who watch these 50-over matches because they like the noise and colour of the occasion - have no real illusions about their country's current standing in world cricket. Nor, perhaps, do the players themselves. A tie was sufficient reason for the New Zealand selectors to resist any temptation to recall Mark Greatbatch as a temporary expedient and they have named an unchanged 12 for the final games.
New Zealand's long season started with the triumph of a Test win in Lahore and they will soon learn whether any progress has been made against England when they take on the Sri Lankan team who began their tour here yesterday on the tranquil shores of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island.
There will be two Tests and three internationals and any doubts about the strength of the Sri Lankans, now under a different Australian coach in Steve Rixon's Australian contemporary, Bruce Yardley, were removed at once. Chaminda Vaas took six for 22, including a hat-trick, against Northern Districts before those wristy wizards whistled past the home side's score while losing only two wickets.
The Sri Lankans will get their first sight of Daniel Vettori when they play New Zealand A before the first Test, starting in Hamilton only next Friday, but the spin bowling find of the winter has done a lot of bowling recently and they would be wise to bowl him very lightly in that match. He may find it harder against batsmen who use their feet.
England might have hoped to make a few changes to tomorrow's side if they had managed two runs rather than one off the last ball on Wednesday night and the best reason to win at Eden Park and wrap the series up would be in order to give Jack Russell, loyal tourist that he has been despite his personal disappointment, a game. The same goes for Chris Silverwood, who looked likely to be playing his second Test less than a month ago, after a career best performance in the first innings at Wanganui, but who has not played since.
It is conceivable that Silverwood might play tomorrow but the only likely change is the return of Phil Tufnell in place of Ronnie Irani. He and Robert Croft have been England's best bowlers in the one-day games so far. Croft has taken only one wicket but his 30 overs have been bowled at a fraction under three runs an over. Tufnell's four for 22 in the first game at Christchurch was the man-of-the-match performance; since when, for more reasons than one, perhaps, he has lain low.
It would be interesting to know a bookmaker's price on Tufnell's chances of making a second tour to the West Indies next winter. David Lloyd is already planning ahead for that challenge, after what he called a ``successful winter for England all-round'' yesterday. With a blind eye turned to the one-day games in Zimbabwe, he can offer as evidence the success in New Zealand and the achievements of the A team and under-19 sides in Australia and Pakistan respectively. ``There is,'' the coach said, ``a strong nu- cleus now and healthy competition for places.'' It is pleasing indeed that he is able to say it with conviction.