Former Black Cap Craig McMillan remembers England's 2002 New Zealand tour fondly and is hopeful this summer's tour will provide more of the same pleasant memories.
McMillan will be behind the microphone for Sky when England tours here in February and March, and is looking forward to what he hopes will be a competitive series.
Just how competitive the series is will hinge on how well the Black Caps combat England's attack, he says.
There is nothing new in that. A decade ago, it was Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Caddick and Andrew Flintoff who were the main threats to the New Zealand batting line-up.
"They were a very good England side," McMillan said.
"We'd beaten them over there in '99 and they came out here wanting a fair bit of revenge.
"From what I remember, it was a fairly competitive series and I guess the other thing you remember is there were some pretty extraordinary performances throughout that series."
Nathan Astle's remarkable double century in the first test certainly fits that criteria.
It came off just 153 deliveries and arguably sits alongside Martin Crowe's innings of 299 and Bert Sutcliffe's wonderful counterattack in the Tangiwai test as the most memorable test innings played by New Zealanders.
But what people tend to forget about that match was New Zealand still lost, thanks to another marvellous double century by Graham Thorpe. Thorpe was dropped in slips on four by none other than Astle.
"Nath probably ended up the game pretty square in that test, which seems ridiculous when he scored 222 in one knock.
"But that test match, to me, was one of the best test matches I played in.
"It was one of those really intriguing tests and had a bit of everything. The only disappointment was we were on the losing side."
Rain ruined the second test, and some heroics by seamer Daryl Tuffey helped New Zealand level the series in the third, which was a great result for the home side considering it was missing so many players through injury.
Andre Adams and Ian Butler made their debuts in that series and Chris Drum had to open the bowling in all three tests with Dion Nash, Shane Bond and Shayne O'Connor all on the injured list.
Ten years on and New Zealand is once again facing a stronger opponent.
"Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor are the key players and they are going to be up against a good bowling line-up in Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steve Finn and Graeme Swann.
"The question is can the New Zealand batsmen get enough runs on the board to be competitive, because Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Doug Bracewell have the ability to take wickets and dominate batting line-ups as well."
The Black Caps have taken an awful battering the media over the years and it feels like it is a bit of a national pastime to take the mickey out of the team.
McMillan has experienced both sides. As a broadcaster, it is his role to offer honest appraisals but he still remembers what it was like to cop criticism.
"You have to look inside yourself and see if the criticism is actually valid. I never had any problem with performance criticism but at times I felt it got too personal.
"But the only cash you carry around as a batsmen is runs. It is fair to say the New Zealand team has gone backwards at a great rate of knots and you only have to look at the ICC rankings to validate that.
"As an ex-player, there is nothing I'd love more than to be positive and see New Zealand winning and play well.
"I wish I could do that every day of the week but, unfortunately, with this New Zealand team it is not the case.
"It is important because the public is not silly and they know if you are sugar-coating stuff. But I look at this New Zealand side and see a fair bit of talent and have to scratch my head. It just doesn't make sense that we're only eighth in the world when we have all that talent."