Honestly, as a spectacle, it was a complete dud.

But in a relatively lifeless, batting-dominated trans-Tasman clash there developed somewhat of a firestorm when former left-arm quick Dirk Nannes branded the Australia’s sportsmanship as “horrendous” after the home side failed to book a ticket tape parade like send-off for Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor.

Don’t get me wrong, Taylor’s innings was as dogged as it was sublime.

The highest individual score by a visiting cricketer in Australia, a cracking knock of 290 deserves plenty of recognition.

And it got just that.

But isn’t it the Australian’s prerogative to celebrate taking Taylor’s wicket, rather than rushing over to cheer him from the field?

Dismissed via a corker of a catch by sub-fieldsman Jono Wells, the Aussies swarmed the diminutive gun as Taylor ventured from the WACA ground, by his own admission, as quickly as he could in the opposite direction to the one the Australian side went to mob Wells.

The result was not one Aussie player shaking Taylor’s hand.

But that was purely a by-product of both parties heading in different directions, not any poor sportsmanship or bad blood between the two camps.

For Nannes to call that act horrendous is beyond belief.

At the elite level as well as in club-land, cricket is played to win as much as it is to honour any significant personal milestones chalked up along the way - and that’s the way it should be.

Australia was, and rightly so, celebrating a minor victory.

Taylor was recognised both post game and during his innings, with Australia applauding each notch of 50 as the kiwi batsman’s high water mark continued to rise.

That’s not enough for Dirk, though.

Nannes has since then backed up his harsh branding of the Aussies with a supposed library of terrible on-field acts where Australian cricketers have brushed opposition players in unsportsman-like conduct, incidents that are supposedly ingrained in the culture of our national cricket team.

It’s all laughable.

Any thoughts on Nick Kyrgios, Dirk?