Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

At the dawn of the new millennium, even the most passionate New Zealand cricket fans wouldn't have dared to suggest, that the Black Caps would be at the top of test playing nations two decades later.

Last Tuesday's ICC Test Championship Final victory over India in Southampton is what dreams are made of. In a true David verses Goliath battle, the nation of five million slew the power of 1.3 billion, in a enthralling end to the first test cricket title race.

The Black Caps victory was built upon a unwavering self belief entering the game, with two gritty innings and a magnificent bowling display. All this was achieved in just four days of play, due to wet weather.

It was appropriate that two of rocks of New Zealand team, in Captain Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were at the crease when victory came, with Taylor caressing the ball to the boundary to get his team over the line.

Northern Districts Cricket is entitled to some of the reflected glory with six of the winning team having come from their ranks.

The Black Cap skipper, along with Trent Boult, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Tim Southee and Colin de Grandhomme, have all worn the Knights uniform in battle.

Two former Bay of Plenty players, have played a significant role with Northern Districts cricket in the last decade, having input and guidance into the ND players that lifted the ICC Test Championship chalice aloft in victory.

Both James Pamment and Graeme Aldridge, first senior representative coaching assignments were to take charge of the Bay senior representative side, which provided a springboard to NZC major association cricket.

The pair signaled their talent and coaching skills for the future, in their time with the Bay first eleven. James Pamment ended a drought of Fergus Hickey Rosebowl minor association crowns, with three victories, in his four years in charge of the Bay of Plenty troops.

Graeme Aldridge charges won the NZC minor association big prize of the Hawke Cup, in his time coaching the Bay team. Bay of Plenty lifted the Hawke Cup from Hawkes Bay and in the first defence against Counties Manukau, set a total which coaches can only dream about, when they posted 701 all out.

Well defined pathways are the key to success in both business and sport. The Black Caps triumph in the test championship, is the result of planning and the resulting pathways put in a place a numbers of years ago.

It is realistic for a Western Bay of Plenty youngsters to have a vision to play professional cricket in the future. The pathway starts with the Western Bay of Plenty age-group representative program, which leads to Bay of Plenty and Northern Districts representation, with the most talented selected for New Zealand Cricket teams.

With the Bay of Plenty and Western Bay pathways locked in place, there is plenty of optimism that further Western Bay of Plenty Blackcaps will follow in the footsteps of Mathew and Robbie Hart, Daniel Flynn, Kane Williamson, Trent Boult and Graeme Aldridge.