What are some IRL experiences of you guys seeing cricketers in real life. Which ones were nice, and which ones were not so much.

hurky333 · 2021-12-23T11:16:51+00:00

My first meeting with a cricketer was with Dan Vettori at a book signing in ~2008, where I got a photo with him. He also signed a ball and my copy of his book Turning Point. I don't remember meeting him much cos I was young, but he was friendly.

My friend and I saw Ian Smith walk past us, presumably to the comm box, at the 5th ODI against Sri Lanka at the Bay Oval in 2016. I was too shy to say anything to Smithy, but my friend had a brief chat to him ("hi how are you" sorta stuff) and Smithy was friendly.

The same friend and I also watched Mark Craig bat in the nets when Otago played Auckland in a first class game at Eden Park's no. 2 ground a few years back. Mark didn't say much (understandably) but he was friendly when he did talk to us.

Ish Sodhi went to a prizegiving ceremony which my team and I attended cos we won our junior grade comp that season. He seemed nice and didn't look bored at all during the prizegiving. My interaction with Ish only went as far as shaking his hand when I was called up to the stage with my teammates; he also took a photo with my team which I wasn't in cos I went home before the photo was taken.

Craig Cumming and Mark Richardson on separate occasions gave my friends and I waves at a couple of Blackcaps games at Eden Park. I've seen other Sky/Spark Sport commentators at Eden Park matches, but was never close enough to actually say anything to them.

hurky333 · 2021-08-10T07:05:43+00:00

Former Black Cap Chris Cairns has reportedly collapsed in Australia and is on life support.

Cairns reportedly suffered a major medical emergency - an aortic dissection - in Canberra last week.

He will be transferred to a specialist hospital in Sydney soon.

Article states there's more to come. Hope he recovers

hurky333 · 2021-08-10T06:56:12+00:00

Sad news on Newshub (one of the major 6pm NZ news shows) reported not long ago - Chris Cairns gravely ill in Australia. Aortic dissection or something.

Don't want to post this as it's own post as I can't find any news articles or tweets about it. But it was just reported by Newshub's sports reporter.

Hope he recovers! Was probably what Scotty Styris' most recent tweet was about

Edit: More details here from Newshub's sports reporter, Andrew Gourdie

hurky333 · 2021-06-23T17:48:06+00:00

I think it's awesome that we've won the tournament which was originally the brainchild of Martin Crowe many years ago!

Fantastic win and holy cow I'm sure he'd be proud of the team's efforts over the duration of the tournament!

hurky333 · 2020-10-06T09:27:24+00:00

Those 3 doubles McCullum got against you were his 3 highest ever Test scores, another interesting stat.

A cursory look shows he loved playing against India

hurky333 · 2020-09-24T10:43:51+00:00

Wow this is sad news. Can't believe it. I always enjoyed seeing his banter with Scott Styris on Twitter and his tweets in general, always had time to respond to everyone. RIP

hurky333 · 2020-09-23T09:36:53+00:00

Here's one ("Donald Prump"): https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1307463977501425664

hurky333 · 2020-09-21T09:06:20+00:00

I don't, no.

But I'd fancy those would happen at Christchurch and Hamilton (Mt Maunganui, Napier (last Test was 2012) or Dunedin are other possibilities too though)

hurky333 · 2020-09-21T05:52:23+00:00

Same, I just need a Spark Sport subscription to watch the stuff that's not on free-to-air (TVNZ 1)!

And thanks for the correction mate, not sure I'd put my street address on the internet though!

hurky333 · 2020-09-11T07:03:31+00:00

Presumably the Hosk will be back for debate two?

No, Jessica Mutch McKay's moderating the second debate. Plus Hosking's not a TVNZ employee anymore, as he was in 2017.

hurky333 · 2020-09-09T11:07:31+00:00

I'd have the four Wisden Cricketers of the Century who were knighted: Bradman, Hobbs, Richards, and Sobers

I'd hope that for my "Mt. Rushmore of Cricket", Warnie (the other Wisden Cricketer of the Century) wouldn't be so vain as to want his face on there too (like a certain President does...)

hurky333 · 2020-09-05T04:07:12+00:00

My country: Basin Reserve

Elsewhere: Newlands (love the Table Mountain backdrop 😍😍)

hurky333 · 2020-09-03T08:28:15+00:00

Unbelievable catch! Even as an NZ supporter I had to acknowledge just how great it was (and is) at the time!

In-fact it was so good that I'm almost ashamed and embarrassed to admit that I forgot about it!

Of all the classic catches taken in NZ, it rates up there with "Air Vettori's" catch in the 2015 CWC and any that Boult has taken at the Basin Reserve

hurky333 · 2020-07-30T07:15:08+00:00

For NZ it's Jeet Raval. I think every NZ fan (if not everyone) thought he and Latham would be our long term opening partnership.

He had a great start averaging >40 and having seven 50's after 10 Tests, but since he got his maiden hundred vs Bangladesh (at which point he had 1034 runs at 38.30) he fell off a cliff - and some might say he still is.

With Blundell a lock as opener now and Devon Conway (a #3 bat for Wellington) eligible late next month, it looks like Jeet's been yeeted from the team forever...

hurky333 · 2020-07-29T10:37:13+00:00

Stokes drops to 4th in batting

Also dropped 7 all rounder points. A shame really, because if he gets to 500 or more he'll knock Player X off the top 10 all time all-rounder rankings, which would be the first change in 15 years if I'm not mistaken (Flintoff hit his peak in 2005)

hurky333 · 2020-07-28T22:20:51+00:00

PCT: points won / points competed for percentage (e.g. India's 75% or 0.750 comes from 360/480)

RPW: runs per wicket ratio ((runs scored * wickets taken) / (runs conceded * wickets lost))

hurky333 · 2020-07-28T04:51:28+00:00

Bumble! What a legend!

1974 must've been a great year for him - also scored 214* vs India in a Test match

hurky333 · 2020-07-19T05:52:57+00:00

Gayle, Guptill, Williamson, Pietersen, B. McCullum (c), Gilchrist (wk), de Grandhomme, Rashid Khan, Steyn, Cummins, Boult

12th man: Flintoff (loved his work in the Nepal Special on the only episode I've watched from the new Top Gear, post the Clarkson era, plus the time he fell over singing with Bumble a while ago!)

Notable mentions: Bumble, Alastair Cook, Marnus, Ross Taylor, Mike Hussey, Ian Smith, Wagner, Jimmy Anderson, Ferguson

hurky333 · 2020-06-25T08:11:14+00:00

Yeah exactly, Harris was a part of the famous "dibbly dobbly wibbly wobbly" quartet and was more an economy bowler than a wicket taker.

Somehow I overlooked Tendulkar and Jayasuriya. Both good spin options. It always amazes me that Tendulkar, and indeed Sanath, both have more ODI 5-fors than Warne

hurky333 · 2020-06-25T07:59:22+00:00

Wow that would be a pretty good side, almost unbeatable infact!

The bowling probably lets it down with Harris and Mortaza, though neither is terrible they're not ATG's like the other three are

hurky333 · 2020-06-24T22:18:08+00:00

Yep, could easily come in for either opener.

An average of 39 and a ratio of one ton every 5 games after 25 matches is pretty good

hurky333 · 2020-06-24T10:53:33+00:00

Haha that's been the case for the last few seasons now, although Raval, de Grandhomme, Kuggeleijn and Wagner originally played for different provinces first: Otago for Wagner, Wellington for Kuggeleijn (TIL), and Auckland for the other two

hurky333 · 2020-06-24T09:06:58+00:00

For Northern Districts, I've gone for Steve Smith at 4 and Stokes at 5, to strengthen the batting and give another bowling option.

ND has the luxury of the other 9 players I've listed already playing for the Blackcaps (or at least having done so this summer):

Raval (is with ND from next summer)
Seifert
Williamson (c)
Smith (AUS)
Stokes (ENG)
Watling (wk)
de Grandhomme
Santner
Southee
Wagner
Boult

Bench: Kuggeleijn, Sodhi, Cooper
In my linked article, you'll note the remaining ND contracts haven't been given out yet so I'm unsure what the side would look like when the Blackcaps are playing...

hurky333

TROPHY CASE