The last week has not been a good one for the CLEAR Black Caps.

At the half-time break in Napier in the first One-Day International against Sri Lanka I was convinced New Zealand was going to win.

Chasing 214 it was a great effort by the bowlers to restrict Sri Lanka to that.

The wicket wasn't coming on and it would need some patience to score but the bowlers seemed intent on trying to finish the game off in 35 overs and not 50.

So that win I'm sure would have lifted the spirits of a Sri Lankan side who had suffered the same fate as the Black Caps in South Africa.

During that Napier game I felt for Andrew Penn. I have been in that situation before where your action deserts you and you are just running in to bowl hoping that somehow you will get the ball somewhere near the wickets.

It can be a lonely place in the middle and I was disappointed for him that he didn't take his chance to secure a permanent place in the Black Caps line-up.

He can bowl and has done so for Wellington this season, but with that performance he'll have to go to the back of the queue for another opportunity.

Wellington saw a gutsy effort on a slow pitch and old Harry [Chris Harris] has shown exactly what is required.

His pride and determination is second to none but has been asked to this on too many occasions and we now need a huge effort from the top order to stay alive in the series.

To defend a score like 204 is hard. But having Dan Vettori back has sewn up that middle stage and with Harry bowling well in tandem with Dan these two put the brakes on scoring and it came down to the death bowling.

Once again I was convinced when Aravinda was out that we would win.

But when Chris Martin didn't quite get the ball in yorker length and Arnold hit that six we were gone.

Cricket is a game of such small degrees and on this occasion Chris just missed and Arnold took full advantage of it.

So where to? Twosey is out and that's a massive blow (when it rains it pours!) making way for Lou Vincent who I wish the very best.

He is an exciting player with a great passion for cricket and is very confident.

The top four batters are now under the hammer and in the remaining three games, to stay alive, they must deliver.

They are due, so fingers crossed and let's have a Black Cap week of victories.

© CricInfo