THE LEDGER: Our Weekly Roundup of the Trans-Tasman Sporting Deathmatch

Australia versus New Zealand—it's one of the great rivalries in world sport. Two underdogs on the global stage who reserve their finest sporting displays for performances against each other.

What brings it out? What makes the rivalry so fierce?

It's like a forever game of backyard cricket; the older kid (Australia) smashing the ball over the back fence over and over—and the younger one (New Zealand) picking it up and running in again, even more determined and bitter than the time before.

Beating your older sibling is always sweet, while it's great to keep the younger one in their place.

VICE Sports AUNZ's new weekly feature—The Ledger—will look at the rivalry week by week, and cast an eye on which nation did better. From cricket to rugby league, scrabble to poker, you'll find the best, and worst, of trans-Tasman sporting passion here each week.

CRICKET (AUSTRALIA)

With the Twenty20 World Cup in the books and the Australasian domestic seasons done and dusted, international cricket also enters its post-summer break.

But there's been plenty of willow and leather action in India, where Australia and New Zealand's top cricketers have been taking part in the annual T20 cash grab that is the Indian Premier League.

The biggest name in the IPL over the last week has been Victorian Aaron Finch, who has smashed 191 runs in three innings—including a brutal 74 off 27 for the Gujurat Lions against the Kings XI Punjab. Other Aussies have been bringing home the bacon too, with David 'Davey' Warner scoring a quickfire 58 off 25 balls (with five 6s), while evergreen veteran Brad Hogg—now 44!—collecting a sharp 3 for 19 at the bowling crease for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Kiwi lads weren't so flash. Despite opening with Finch, ex-captain and national hero Brendon McCullum has only 55 in three starts—with 49 of those coming in a single knock against the Rising Pune Supergiants (is there a better team name in world sport?!). Auckland seamer Mitchell McClenaghan is one of the league's hottest bowlers, with figures of 2/25 and 4/21—and a pinch hitting 20 off 8 with three 6s—but the rest of the Kiwis have barely got on the field.

This one definitely goes to the Ockers.

WINNER: Australia

FOOTBALL (AUSTRALIA)

With no Wellington Phoenix in the A-League playoffs, this is a soft toss win to Australian football. Only one Kiwi—Kosta Barbarouses—even featured in the first round of the A-League's knockout games, in the losing Melbourne Victory team.

In England, Sydney-born defender Brad Smith got a start for Liverpool over the weekend, in their 2-1 win at Bournemouth. New Zealand captain Winston Reid led his West Ham team to a 2-2 draw against the soon-to-be champions Leicester City, but the Hammers look like they're no chance for the Europa Cup spot now.

In women's football, the Olympic draws are out and Australia will be way happier with theirs. The Matildas will play minnows Canada and Zimbabwe along with Germany, while the Football Ferns are in the group of death against heavyweights United States and France, as well as plucky Colombia.

Advantage Aussies. Again.

WINNER: Australia (2)

RUGBY UNION

Whenever the shit hits the fan in the Trans-Tasman rivalry, you know the Kiwis can bank on bringing home the bacon in rugby union.

It was the case in Super Rugby again this last week, with all three New Zealand teams playing—the Crusaders, Hurricanes and Blues—all notching up victories. The Highlands and Chiefs both had byes.

The Brumbies were the only Aussie team to bank a W, and that came against the Waratahs in Sydney. The Rebels were smashed by the Canes 38-13, while the Reds were humped 41-22 in Pretoria. If the Super Rugby season finished today, the only Kiwi team to miss the quarterfinals would be the Blues. Wow.

Both New Zealand and Australia had pretty weak outings at the Singapore Sevens over the weekend. The Kiwis did slightly better, reaching the final of the plate competition—where they were upset by Samoa. Australia, meanwhile, were dumped out by the Kiwis in the preceding plate semi, losing 31-7. Ouch.

The Kiwis are on the board.

WINNER: New Zealand (1)

RUGBY LEAGUE

War-ri-ors, come out and play-ay!

It all boiled down to Wellington, as the New Zealand Warriors took on the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the Kiwi capital. Officially it was a Doggies home game but, obviously, the Warriors would have the crowd advantage.

The Warriors have historically underwhelmed in their out-of-Auckland New Zealand games over the years, and pressure has been mounting on the current squad after a decidedly tepid start to the 2016 season.

But the Warriors turned up, and beat out a tired looking Doggies side 24-20. The result sees the Kiwi team go to eighth equal on the NRL ladder, and will be coach Andrew McFadden can loosen the tie for another week.

It might be a costly win though, with the Warriors sweating on the condition of star fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who limped out of the match with a knee injury.

WINNER: New Zealand (2)

NETBALL

As per usual in the ANZ Championship, the Aussie teams—New South Wales, West Coast and Queensland—are streaming ahead. The only three unbeaten teams are Australian, while two winless teams are Kiwis—Northern and Waikato-Bay of Plenty.

Media speculation is rife that this will be the last year of the bi-national competition, which was first played in 2008. A Kiwi team has only won the title once, in 2012, so it's probably fitting the New Zealand teams continue to underperform in its final season.

Notch another up to Australia.

WINNER: Australia (3)

MOTORSPORT

The V8 Supercars touched down on Phillip Island, and it was Kiwi Scott McLaughlin who came away with the chocolates. McLaughlin "gave it the jandal" and led from flag to flag to claim his second straight V8 victory.

While Aussie Daniel Ricciardo battled back from a punctured tire in Sunday's Chinese F1 Grand Prix, Scott Dixon is still the man in the Indycars. This one has got to go to the Kiwis.

WINNER: New Zealand (3)

BASKETBALL

It's that beautiful time of year in sport: NBA playoff season. And there's plenty going on as far as Aussies and Kiwis playing ball in the States goes.

Aussie Andrew Bogut emerged as his generation's Luc Longley last week, as a starting member of the record-breaking Golden State Warriors. GSW were able to beat the overall record of Longley's (and Michael Jordan's) famed 72-10 Bulls from 95/96. There's a good chance Bogut will collect a second NBA title ring in the next few weeks too—GSW look that unstoppable.

Three more Aussies will feature in the NBA playoffs, in the Spurs' Patty Mills, Pistons' Aron Baynes (who was born in New Zealand) and Cavaliers' Matthew Dellavedova. On the other hand, 100 percent of Kiwis playing in the NBA are seeing playoff action, with Steve 'Funaki' Adams' Oklahoma City Thunder battling the Dallas Mavericks. His Uncle Bully facial furniture should put him in MVP discussions.

Still, Bogut being at GSW seals the deal.

WINNER: Australia

OLYMPIC SPORTS: HOCKEY

Both the Australian and New Zealand men's hockey teams were in Malaysia for Sultan Azlan Shah Cup last week. Given the nature of the tournament, a clash between the two was inevitable and we got a bit of classic dished up too.

Australia won a hard-fought 1-0, with veteran defender Jamie Dwyer scoring the only goal. The Aussies would eventually win the Cup, with New Zealand finishing third.

They'll battle again later this year, and should be in the mix for medals in Rio. Chalk up another for the Aussies for now, though.

WINNER: Australia

WILDCARD SPORT: MMA

While there haven't been any Kiwis and Aussies in the Octagon over the last week, it's certainly been a good one for Kiwi UFC cult hero Mark Hunt.

The Sydney-based heavyweight has just signed a multi-million dollar six-fight deal with UFC, completing one of the great redemptive stories in sports over the last decade. Hunt turned into a bit of a drugged out MMA washout following his K-1 glory days, but the 42-year-old has transformed himself in recent years.

Hunt lives in Sydney these days, but that heart is from South Auckland

WINNER: New Zealand.

OVERALL

AUSTRALIA 5 NEW ZEALAND 4

A typically tight tussle for the first week of The Ledger, with Australia nudging their Antipodean neighbours 5-4. The younger brother will pick up the ball again next week, though.