By Martin Gough

England were at a low ebb in 1999 but for their Test opponents that summer it marked a milestone in their development.

New Zealand celebrated in style after their win at The Oval

New Zealand had long been regarded as members of international cricket's second tier.

Some questioned the decision by England's administrators to play the Black Caps in a four-Test series after the World Cup.

New Zealand, accustomed to the role of underdog, left the critics with egg on their faces and England on the wrong end of a 2-1 series verdict.

For their coach, Australian Steve Rixon, the win completed a long journey.

With a broad smile, Rixon looks up to the players' balcony at The Oval and recalls looking out to see thousands of Kiwis chanting the haka after an 83-run fourth Test victory.

"It was the culmination of all our work paying off," he says.

"It gave me a moment I was super proud of and super proud of all the guys who had worked so hard to get to where they were."

The enjoyment of each other's company is something I can still see when I sit and watch Steve Rixon

The New Zealand team Rixon took over three years previously had been far less successful.

"When I first arrived in New Zealand they were a team that looked at how they could save it before looking at how they could win it," he says.

"If people have a bit of insecurity they need to be treated differently.

"There was a bit of panic from the players understanding what I was trying to do - their culture was so different."

ENGLAND v NZ 1999 1st Test, Edgbaston NZ 226 (Parore 73) & 107 (Caddick 5-32) Eng 126 & 211/3 (Tudor 99no) England won by 7 wickets 2nd Test, Lord's Eng 186 (Hussain 61; Cairns 6-77) & 229 NZ 358 (Horne 100) & 60-1 New Zealand won by 9 wickets 3rd Test, Old Trafford Eng 199 (Ramprakash 69) & 181-2 (Stewart 83no) NZ 496-9 dec (Astle 101; McMillan 107no) Match drawn 4th Test, The Oval NZ 236 (Fleming 66no) & 162 (Cairns 80) Eng 153 (Cairns 5-31) & 162 (Atherton 64) New Zealand won by 83 runs

Players now recognised as world stars, like batsmen Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle and skipper Stephen Fleming, needed licence to express themselves.

But the biggest problem from a man-management perspective was Chris Cairns, who the side had christened BA - Bad Attitude.

"I pushed him harder that I have pushed anyone," Rixon says of the star all-rounder.

"He fought it early then we compromised and got the most magnificent result."

England got out of jail in a low-scoring first Test, after nightwatchman Alex Tudor hit an unbeaten 99.

And Rixon was at a loss preparing for the second match of the series at Lord's.

"I sat them all down in a room and went round individually asking what they could do to go to the next level," he remembers.

"Cairns jumped up and said, 'I will be on that [honours] board at the end of the game. I can't tell you whether it's going to be the 100 or the five-for but I will be on that board.

Cairns was the lynchpin in New Zealand's victory

"The hairs on the back of my neck went straight up."

The honours board shows two names from New Zealand's first ever victory at the home of cricket - Matthew Horne's 100 and Chris Cairns' 6-77.

New Zealand were on top, England demoralised even when rain at Old Trafford helped keep the series alive.

The Oval saw another low-scoring match, but Cairns struck the telling blow again, taking 5-33 to bowl England out 83 behind.

He smashed 80 off 93 balls, took the final England wicket - Alan Mullally, caught slogging to mid-on for three - and the celebrations began.

The coda for Rixon came after he had returned home at the end of the tour, when he received a call from Cairns.

"We set our target on him being [ranked] the best all-rounder in the world," he says.

"The most magnificent moment I've ever experienced was when Chris got on the phone and said, 'The results have come out; I'm the top all-rounder. Thanks mate."

"Then he hung up".