Just back from Cloud 9 and the Blackcaps are still World Champions!

YES! The Blackcaps from little old New Zealand are the World Champions of cricket. And now, not just the best at ODIs, we're also the best at test cricket. 

WORLD CHAMPIONS!

What a monumental six days of totally absorbing rain-filled cricket that was. How good was India? How good were we? The quality of the cricket on display reflected the enornmity of the occasion. No quarter was given. Every wicket was fought for and earned. 

I can only think of a couple of false strokes in the test where the pressure got to a batter and they attempted to flail their way out of trouble. Rahane probably regrets giving up his wicket in the 2nd innnings. It did appear to be a game changer.  

To the lucky buggers that got to watch the game live, thanks for making enough noise to fill a stadium. Wish I'd been lucky enough to get some in the ballot. 

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What can I add to the millions of lines that have been written already?

I thought about linking to all the articles for posterity, but there's too many. Here's some of the best ones:

Not luck, not fluke - New Zealand deserve to be the World Test Champions - Jarrod Kimber for Cricinfo. I'm no Kimber fan - over the years he's not been our best friend but he seems to be on board now. 

Kiwis do fly, to the top of the world - Sydney Morning Herald acknowledge the result.

The Champion Team - Sportsfreak covers the result

I don't do podcasts much but for posterity's sake Offspin covered the test daily.

For Ross, Kane, Tim, and Trent this is the culmination off their hard work and sheer brillance. For Wags and Watling, this is what happens to top blokes who believe and never say die. For Tom and Henry, the quiet and consistent performers that every team needs, your reward is now here. For Colin and his hairdo, thanks for bringing the lols to the team. For Kyle and Devon, the new boys on the block, cricket is just too easy apparently. I hope they continue to have awesome careers.  

How lucky are we to have so many good cricketers in one generation? And with more in the background ready to jump in and fill their shoes when retirment or injury occurs. Well done NZ cricket administrators for getting the coaching, administration, grounds, and pitches in decent order. 

That super sexy WTC Final jersey

To my fellow blackcaps supporters and kiwi cricket tragics, yes it has been worth us travelling the world to watch the boys at Lords, the MCG, Edgbaston, the SCG, the Basin, the Gabba, the Bay Oval, and Seddon Park (never Eden Park which is a travesty of a cricket ground). This World Championship is ours too, our reward for never ending belief in a team.

To my fellow twitter cricket supporters. Thanks for sharing the experience. You make the game even more interesting, stat filled, and fun. It's been worth you writing your titbits - never doubt your words.

To the rest of the cricket world, thanks for bothering to play us, for without you, we couldn't be the best.

One more pic (try not to cry):

Ross and Kane - World Class

Ryan Nelsen interview

Just found this podcast / YouTube channel today - Between Two Beers. No idea who the guys are but they appear to have access to some of NZ's greatest sporting stars. The 50th episode of Between Two Beers is magic as it features All Whites, DC United, Blackburn, and Tottenham legend, Ryan Nelsen. 

As we all know I'm a huge All Whites fan and of course, Ryan led the boys for a good ten years. His portrait by illustrator Elliot Quince sits beside me every day in the office.

Ryan is a top bloke. Not only was he damn good at football. Turns out he's also fun, clever, and good at everything. His story is magic, from leaving NZ to go to university in the USA, the MLS with DC United,  through to the premiership years, and then the MLS again in Toronto and on to a successful business career after. 

Interesting to note that Ryan could have played cricket for the Blackcaps. He was captain of the NZ Under 18 team featuring Vettori, Oram, the Marshalls, etc., and chose to go to university in America instead as he was worried that his dodgy knee would give up any day and force him to lead a civilian life rather than a sporting career. Incredible really. 

Watch the interview below - it's completely worth it, if only for the memories of fat Sam, Tugay, Samba, Mark Hughes, etc. In his recollection is the amateurish preparation and support for the World Cup in 2010. I am so proud of the team that competed at that tournament (the only unbeaten squad), but it feels like it may have been an opportunity missed now. The players were so good at the time - just imagine how well they could have done with world-class support.

Blackcaps vs Sth Africa – CWC, Edgbaston

Pics from the CWC19 trip to support the boys in the game vs the Saffas. A fine game superbly controlled by Kane’s excellent 100 and the six at the end was incredible stuff.

Supporting the Blackcaps at the World Cup 2019

Went to The Oval during the week to cheer on the boys against the Bangles. Job done as we restricted them to a very gettable 244, then proceeded to make it look like 444. Ross batted superbly despite almost been run out multiple times by the Boy Wonder. All handled eventually though as Mitch Santner got us over the line with a cool head while those of us in the stands hid behind hands or ran off to the loo to have a panic wee.

A few pics:

A gloomy start

Absolutely surrounded by Bangles fans.
Good bunch though.

Trent

Living legend Trent Boutl signs a bat with
my sharpie. Yay! 

And then fielding at boss level.

Was randomly recording when lovely trentty caught this.
Portrait video though - arrgghh. What's wrong with me?

Things are getting bloody tense now.

This bloke was pretty happy with the win. Still, he was 5 or 6 wine carafes to the wind at this stage.

All over, red rover. This bloke reckons he's gonna keep me from running on the pitch.

Bring Hogan's Gear Back to NZ

Maximus Decimus Meridius AKA Russell Crowe is being taken to the cleaners by his previous lady friend and is having one mother of an auction to divvy up the proceeds of his life. Amongst the swords, costumes, artwork and paraphernalia an actor collects is a bunch of historically important cricket artefacts given to him by Martin 'Hogan' Crowe. These include Martin's bat he made his 17th and last century with and his shirt from the 1992 World Cup. Rather than let these items fall into a collector's hands, one good soul has started a funding page to try and earn enough money to bid on these items and donate them to the NZ Cricket Museum.

I guess you could argue that there are infinitely better causes to give your money to but equally few things in life will give you as much pleasure as watching cricket. It's the cathartic experience everyone should have in their life. Nothing beats a beer in one hand, the newspaper in the other, the crack of willow on leather in the distance and the roar of the crowd. Martin Crowe provided many of my favourite memories growing up and I'm sure others of my age will be nodding their head along. If you want to get involved in saving a piece of NZ nostalgia for other New Zealanders to enjoy, visit the Give A Little page and donate a few dollars to help the cause.