If there was any doubt over Finn Allen's place at the top of the Blackcaps' order for the Twenty20 World Cup, the 23-year-old has comprehensively expelled them.
Backed to open the batting over Martin Guptill - New Zealand's all-time leading T20 run scorer - Allen let his bat do the talking against Australia in Sydney, scoring 42 runs from just 16 balls to get the Blackcaps off to the perfect start in their tournament opener with a thumping win against their hosts.
Allen dominated the opening stand of 56 runs in 25 balls with Devon Conway, hitting five fours and three sixes against Australia's Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins - three of the most renowned bowlers in the game.
And even after his dismissal, bowled by Hazlewood, Allen's display gave the Blackcaps momentum they'd never return against a shell-shocked Australian outfit.
For the Blackcaps, though, Allen's display was nothing they hadn't already seen, merely a replica of his form for Wellington Firebirds in the domestic Super Smash, and what they've had to bowl to in the nets for over a year now.
"He's shown at domestic level for a couple of years what he's capable of, and he's shown in his short time in this team glimpses of what he's capable of," Tim Southee said.
"But we saw last night what he is really capable of, against a pretty amazing bowling attack.
"It was his stamp on his career so far. He's a dangerous player, we all know he's a dangerous player from watching him perform for Wellington for a number of years, and having bowled to him in the nets over the last 12 months.
"It's exciting for Finn, and I'm sure he feels pretty rapt with how he started things off yesterday."
Despite the convincing nature of New Zealand's victory, though, the Blackcaps won't let complacency seep into their campaign.
The defeat by 89 runs was Australia's largest at a Twenty20 World Cup, and leaves the hosts teetering on the verge of an early exit should they fall to tournament favourites England.
But with games against England, Sri Lanka, Ireland and Afghanistan still to come in the Super 12 stage, Southee says the team are going to keep their heads down and concentrate on one game at a time.
"I guess it's always nice to start the tournament with a win. Just winning the first game against Australia was pretty pleasing, but now our focus shifts to Afghanistan at the MCG.
"The nature of the tournament [means] every game is an important game, and in T20 cricket there's no easy games.
"Every team in the competition has the ability to beat everyone. We know our focus shifts to preparing to beat Afghanistan.
"T20 cricket can be so fickle, and change so quickly. It's not about getting too far ahead of yourself.
"It's just about trying to repeat what we do, day-in, day-out."
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