Catching up

Sport Review #187

Richard Irvine

Mar 17, 2022

Apologies for the absence team, commitments got in the way for while.

Some highs

The best bits about the Women’s Cricket World Cup so far?

This catch - saw it live, still can’t believe it
The Basin crowd - this tournament has been a journey, to say the least, so to see the bank with loyal supporters on it for one of the big matches was heartwarming to say the least
The close finishes - there have been loads
Being able to watch cricket every night - getting people on board with a prolonged period of being able to come home and flick on the telly for a really good match is going to grow the women’s game in NZ. People are talking about it, you love to see it
Suzie Bates’ Dunedin homecoming - again, was lucky enough to be there, but to see one of our greatest play, somehow, her first ODI at home in front of a truely adoring crowd and get the Ferns home in the most trying circumstances was very, very special
The story lines - Bangladesh getting their first ever CWC win. England battling and then coming out of their slump. West Indies being amazing. Australia being really, really good. There’s still plenty more to come - get along to Eden Park this weekend if you’re in town, it’s going to be fantastic

Some lows

Since the last newsletter, we’ve lost Joeli Vidiri, Va'aiga Tuigamala, Rod Marsh and Shane Warne.

Joeli and Inga changed the game when players still swum in those huge heavy cotton jersies and it was still conceivable to get wingers like Terry Wright - they were folk heroes and rightly so, it’s a tragedy they’ve not made old bones.

As someone wise said the only good thing about losing Greats is everyone posting their favourite obscure YouTube clips (like when Bowie died, still getting over that one), in a neat community tribute on the internet.

That was certainly the case for Shane Warne. As a deeply petty younger man, I basically hated him, for the brashness, for the Australian-ness, for being part of that testing era with some of the most ruthless and successful cricketers ever in Waugh / McGrath / Healey / Hayden etc. They’d take the Blackcaps to bits for fun, and I didn’t like it.

But - he was magical to watch. There was the wrist and the spin. But the showmanship - he could just as easily have been taking you down on a pub pool table with the chat and the strategy. He’s one of the genuine all time greats that played in our era, it was an honour to be there for it.

Off the field, he certainly left no stone unturned when it came to pleasure. His honesty and openness meant my grudging admiration became a genuine one. There aren’t many cricketers as talented, or as relatable. We’ll miss him, a lot.

Thanks for reading - Richard

Share Sport Review newsletter

Recent best NZ sport content

Yo may have noticed cricket sections of news sites are basically Shane Warne sections now - here’s Paul Lewis and Dylan Cleaver on the great man, and an obit and a life in pictures from Sportsfreak [NZ Herald, The Bounce, Sportsfreak]

I read Rod Marsh’s books as I hoovered through the cricket section in the library, along with Richard Hadlee’s, Ian Botham and Greg Chapell’s books - here’s a fantastic obit from Andrew Ramsay [cricket.com.au]

Suzanne McFadden on Suzie Bates, and her University Oval homecoming [Locker Room]

Frankie MacKay is a fantastic competitor and one of our best commentators - I’m made up to see her playing in the world cup, Andrew Voerman spoke to her [Stuff]

They will live on as memories of a simpler time. One of baggy cotton jerseys, freewheeling gameplans and huge crowds on the Eden Park terrace basking in the afternoon sunshine, watching Inga's Auckland and Joeli's Blues play some of the greatest rugby ever.

Jamie Wall on Joeli and Inga [RNZ]

Now he's lending his services to the mess at parliament because, he says, it's annoying to put on a mask to go to the bathroom at a restaurant.
And, as he added to the tedious Covid stuff in something of a non-sequitur, because he's "against creating different rights, laws and privileges based on Race".
Sir Russell Coutts, a multimillionaire who's spent his career working for billionaires, is worried about someone else being privileged.

Kris Shannon has five reasons why we should stop knighting sportspeople and they are all right [NZ Herald]

Melie Kerr speaks to Jimmy Neesham and Kristy Havill before her home World Cup campaign (note - I had a small role in production on this series) [Locker Room]

The Detail on what drives Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and her golden breakthrough games [RNZ]

Phil Tautaurangi on rediscovering his Māoritanga [E-tangata]

Handle the Randell (Reality) What would you do if Taine Randell showed up at your house, invited himself in then ignored all cues it was time to leave? In this bold new social experiment, the longer families can handle the ex-All Black captain’s increasingly unsettling presence in their house before they explicitly ask him to go away, the larger the cash prize.

A TV show for every All Black - fantastic stuff [The Spinoff]