T20 is the chewing gum of world cricket. And I mean this in a good way.

You open the packet, take a new fresh piece, chew on it for a wee while and when it gets sour and done happily ditch it and fetch yourself another one.

Not at all gastronomically memorable but certainly pleasurable enough to make you reach for a second slice after you finish the first.

Tonight in Christchurch is the first of five T20 matches between us and Australia, a series that in the grand scheme of things won't mean a Halberg nomination even if we were to win it 5-nil, but a contest nonetheless that should attract a massive TV audience tonight at least.

The numbers watching free to air cricket coverage this summer have been, to use our own industry parlance, through the roof! But if you were to ask all those who have sat through the West Indian and Pakistan games what the scores were, I doubt a single person could successfully rattle the whole lot off.

And this is what I mean by calling the format a bit of bubble-gum. It is perfect for the Facebook/Instagram 30-sec-attention-span generation. Sport you can watch while still being on your cellphone!

Make no mistake we should win this series. This NZ side is as strong as we could select while the Australians are minus many of their test stars, players like Smith & Warner who you'd assume will be straight back in the lineup come the World Champs in India later this year.

On form in home conditions we have the best chance ever to beat our eternal nemesis and need to take advantage. Last time we played them in any format was over there and it wasn't good. We were pantsed in all three tests plus the only one-dayer played before Covid put the kybosh on that series.

So I'm looking forward to this tonight and hopefully you are too. It is what it is: a game of T20, great fun to watch and not meant to stick in the memory.