Any supporter of the New Zealand cricket side expects agony and ecstasy in equal amounts and 2011 was no different.
But the good times outweighed the bad, at least where results are concerned.
The year began with a heavy Test loss to Pakistan but victories over Zimbabwe and a historic win in Australia ensured the record sat at a respectable two wins, as many losses and a draw.
More was promised in the ODI arena when advancing to the World Cup semi-finals in March, knocking out the more-fancied South Africans on the way before succumbing to Sri Lanka.
There were 10 wins and eight defeats in the 50-over format as well as a pair of Twenty20 victories over Zimbabwe.
But the pinnacle of 2011 is unquestionably given to a Test triumph in Hobart that warmed the cockles of a nation.
It was made all the more sweet by the fact it was over the old enemy, Australia, for the first time in 18 years and breaking an even longer drought of 26 years without a victory across the Tasman.
There was a steely determination that had been absent in the nine-wicket shellacking a week earlier in Brisbane and no one embodied that more than young paceman Doug Bracewell.
In Bracewell, New Zealand have unearthed a real gem.
Just as his father, Brendon, and uncle John exhibited, the 21-year-old is a street fighter who never knows, nor cares, when he is beaten.
In Hobart, as in Harare two months earlier, New Zealand were beaten. Both Australia and Zimbabwe were well on their way to successful chases before Bracewell intervened.
He took 5-85 on debut to chop Zimbabwe off 34 runs short and followed it up with 6-40 two Tests later as Australia failed by nine.
The fourth innings of a Test is where players are made and broken, and Bracewell saved his best for the big occasion. He would have man of the match in both Tests had it not been for Daniel Vettori's influence in Harare and the ridiculousness of the public voting system in Hobart.
Bracewell's emergence corresponded with a similar rise to prominence of Dean Brownlie.
Brownlie is a less combative cricketer but every bit as competitive. The Perth-born batsman owns an average of 53.60 after three Tests and his first innings 56 in extremely bowler-friendly conditions were not only of huge importance, they were a lesson in substance over style to his more-vaunted top-order team-mates.
Add to that a fine debut by left-arm seamer Trent Boult, with four wickets on debut and a similarly vital 13-ball 21 in the context of the game, and the future looks bright.
Now it is up to the likes of captain Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and Martin Guptill to consistently deliver on the talent that would make such successes a regular occurrence rather than rare moments to treasure.
The World Cup can be considered a relative success but again New Zealand achieved top-four status without really threatening to go any further.
Tim Southee was the shining light of the campaign, taking 18 wickets at 17.33 and was named as 12th man in the tournament team. He also took a Boxing Day Twenty20 hat-trick against Pakistan and has world-class figures in both limited-overs formats, with the biggest challenge now being to improve a Test bowling average of 42.80 that in no way reflects his talents.
Other highlights including Ross