Iain O'Brien's Cricket Blog

Right then, seriously, where to start...

I’m back in the UK, home, so to speak.  My new home; my second home; which is now, really, my first home.  It a little confusing and I’m still getting used to the thought that Great Brittan, England, Derbyshire and Matlock, to be more exact, is now my new home.

Snow Outside My Front Door

As I’ve been tweeting, it’s been a bit of an adventure since I got here.  The whole country has been covered in snow; completely covered in snow.  The flight path here took me over the length of the UK, it was white; an unbelievable sight for someone who hasn’t had a winter for seven years. 

Flying over London: if you look closely, you can see a snow covered Oval.

2002 in NZ was my last winter and since then I have been back and forth following the sun between NZ and the UK, as well as few other countries with the Blackcaps.  It’s been a great ride that I am going to look back with huge fondness and pride.

Steeping into big waterproof boots, scarf on, big jacket on and a woollen hat all has to be put on before stepping out the front door.  I live on a bit of a steep hill and the walk down into the town is fraught with danger.  The snow and ice on the footpaths makes life very interesting, hence it’s been an adventure.  I even had a chance to go sledging; not the trash talking type, but the sitting on a plastic ‘sledge’ and sliding down a snow covered hill type.  Something I’ve never done.  I had done a bit of skiing as a teenager but not been on or near snow since.  It was fun, the wife and I, two 30+ kids sitting on a lump of plastic sliding down a hill with a solid stone wall at the bottom. Something that I would not have been allowed to have done, well have anyone find out about, while on a NZ Cricket contract.  This retirement lark has its benefits.  Although I am currently unemployed and that is a strange feeling!

Sledging: Not me, but you get the idea!

It’s been a while since I’ve done a full on blog.  Since the day I announced my retirement I haven’t put any more than 50 words or 10 minutes into some pretty pizzle updates.  I really wanted to just focus on finishing the Basin Test and then move onto my last Test in Napier without having the thought of coming home after a day’s play and pouring out my thoughts and head spaces into my blog.  I wanted to just really enjoy the time with my team mates and friends after we walked of the park and got all the end of day stuff done.  It all went very quick from Saturday 5^th December till the last day of the 3^rd Test. 

The rest of the Basin Test match didn’t go to good for us.  It was a pretty heavy defeat.  The only shining point in that Test, after I made my announcement was a new Test high score which I am hugely proud of.  There was a bit of rain about and the only real way we could save a defeat was to pray for rain to finish the 4^th day early and then rain all day on the 5^th.  As it was the rain didn’t come on the 4^th and it was a lovely sunny day on the 5^th.  The match didn’t reach the 5^th anyway!  Dan and I batted together and put on 40, not without drama though.  I was dropped first ball, which would have made a pair for me in the Test.  Dan was dropped as well.  The Pakistani’s really had bad hands on this tour and it’s sad to see them doing the same again across the Tasman in Australia; and if I’m not wrong, they’ve been even worse over there.  It’s a disease dropping catches.  And it can be the only thing you can catch, the ‘dropsees’ disease..

I got a few shots away through third man for four, an area that I tend to score in a bit at this level.  I was really pumped knowing this was my last bat for NZ at the Basin.  I really wanted to walk off the park with the rain coming down, knowing I’d done all I could to save this Test.  Dan and I managed it the previous summer against India, at the same venue, but not this time.  Interestingly, that was my previous high score, 18*, successfully trying to save a Test match.  This time, we couldn’t save it and I got out at 31.  I knew I was walking off the Basin Reserve, for New Zealand, for the last time.  Mum and Dad were there, I caught their eye in the crowd and thanked them, and then walked off head down, proud of my batting but disappointed with the match result.

To be continued......