Lanky Blackcaps paceman Kyle Jamieson has poured cold water on any internal wicket-taking rivalry among the team's vaunted bowling attack.
But when it comes to scoring runs with the bat, the smack talk among the lower order is very real.
Named Player of the Match in last year's World Test Championship, Jamieson, 27, had to take a backseat to little-used teammate Matt Henry in last week's innings thumping of South Africa at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.
Called in to replace frontliner Trent Boult, who was on paternity leave, Henry ran through the Proteas batting line-up on the opening day, compiling career-best figures of 7/23 to equal NZ legend Sir Richard Hadlee for third-best innings return in history.
Henry finished with nine scalps for the match, while Jamieson could muster only two, as New Zealand bundled out their rivals for 95 and 111.
But as the home side prepare for what they hope will be a series sweep - and the much-needed test championship points that come with it - Jamieson insists it matters little who claims bragging rights among the wicket-takers.
"It's not really about me, I don't think," he insists. "It's about us as a collective and it was awesome to see 'Henners' get the fruits last week.
"He's obviously been around the squad for a long period of time and to get a chance out there, on his home patch, and to bowl the way he did was pretty cool to see.
"All of us as a collective will be trying to do something similar come this second test."
Veteran Tim Southee crashed Henry's party in the second innings with his 14th five-wicket bag in tests, surpassing Hadlee for the most wickets on home soil, while South African-born Neil Wagner brought his customary dose of fire and brimstone to intimidate his former countrymen.
Boult will be omitted from the second-test line-up, as he returns to the training loads required for international cricket, sparing selectors the difficult choice of who to leave out of their attack. Purely on first-test form, Jamieson might have been the unlucky one.
But while the bowlers seem happy to share the wickets around equitably, the same can't be said for runs with the bat, where Henry (58 not out) and Wagner (48 as nightwatchman) also excelled.
Jamieson has made no secret of his aspirations as a genuine all-rounder, and is the generally first of the bowlers to emerge from the pavillion in most innings. His 15-run contribution must have hurt more than his lack of wickets.
"I spend a fair amount at most trainings and try to do a bit extra as well," he admits. "It was awesome of Henners to get those runs and for 'Wags' too - it was certainly great viewing for us up top there.
"Hopefully, I can play a part on Friday."
"[Wagner] was certainly pretty excited and can certainly hold a bat. It was awesome for him to do that nighwatchman job and to kick on during that second morning.
"It was awesome to see, and hopefully myself and Tim can add a bit more this test."
Join us at 11am Friday for live updates of the second Blackcaps v South Africa test at Christchurch
