A special week to remember for New Zealand cricket

After the week that has just been I am not sure where to begin!

Firstly losing a game we should have won in Hobart was pretty disappointing and we didn't have much time to think about that as we had to play in Sydney two days later.

When we turned up for the match we were all so looking forward to it as we hardly ever get to play at the SCG and it is one of the best cricket grounds in the world.

The nets were available for us prior to the start of play so a few of us utilised this and this was where Flem [captain Stephen Fleming] was struck on the arm by a ball from Dion Nash. He immediately retired to the dressing room and we didn't really think too much about it but when Dayle Shackel our team physio came running back out to talk to Denis Aberhart we all knew something was up.

I was asked to accompany them in straight away where Flem told me he might not be right and did I want to take the captaincy?

I had to think about that for a quarter of a second before saying, 'Of course!'

I have captained at junior levels but obviously that was a few years ago!

Flem said that there may be a chance he could still play if the X-ray showed no break and he would phone us from the hospital before the toss.

He phoned me five minutes before the toss and said that he couldn't make it back in time and that the arm was too sore. He wished me luck and said to go with my gut feel on the field.

I won the toss and it was Flem's decision that we were going to bat anyway so I was off to a good start, mind you after watching the Aussie bowlers for the first hour and how Lou Vincent and Mark Richardson struggled I was beginning to wonder if I had done the right thing.

We managed to post a competitive 235 and I thought early on in our innings that 200 would be competitive. Again early wickets got us under way in the field and as the night drew in and the lights began to take effect the atmosphere was just electric.

As we kept taking wickets we knew that we could keep the pressure on but at about the 35-over mark a message came out to me that we were five overs behind the over rate and we had to speed up. I had completely forgotten that we had three and a half hours to bowl our overs so we needed to push it along.

When I had Michael Bevan caught at slip I felt the game was ours.

I brought back Jimmy Franklin to bowl and so many people have said to me at the time they were wondering if that was a good thing. As it turned out it was but the reason for it was Jimmy for someone so young has a brilliant temperament and remains unflustered about things in general and at that specific time that was what was required.

The ball was also swinging and I thought he would be a real chance to swing it back in and maybe get a couple of wickets. He responded brilliantly and for that experience in that environment will be a better player for it.

Sydney was a great win but again we were on the road playing in two days time in Brisbane.

South Africa have been our nemesis over the past year or so and we were so determined to get a win. After their powerful start our bowlers pulled the scoring back by taking wickets.

This is where Shane Bond has been a revelation for the CLEAR Black Caps. His pace brings a wicket-taking option to Flem and that is the best way to stop the run rate.

After dismissing them for 241 we were very happy but in return when we were 90/5 it was looking like the same old story against SA. With my good mate Harry [Chris Harris], who had made a quick dash home then back to be with us, we both said it was a case of trying to get some momentum going and to be patient and wait until the 40th over to see what we needed.

Even though he got out Adam Parore and I stuck to the same plan and with 75 needed it was now game on. I was trying to pick a boundary up early then take singles to keep to the run rate required and not look to exceed that by doing something stupid.

We kept picking boundaries up and when I lofted Jacques Kallis for six in the 49th over I knew it was ours.

It was very special to get a hundred in the last over but even more special to score a hundred and win the game and break our drought over SA.

There were jubilant scenes in the dressing room after with everyone ecstatic about the win.

The first half of the competition sees us nicely placed to make the finals, we now have a week off and I am really looking forward to that, a chance to freshen up and get ready for the double-header in Adelaide next weekend.