Te - na - Koutou, and welcome to the spring edition of Outright.
Daylight savings, the shift in weather, and the arrival of spring signal the nationwide ritual of club cricketers heading to their garages, embarking on a search for their cricket gear. This familiar tale involves retrieving the equipment stowed away at the close of the previous season, often accompanied by the self-assured promise, "I'll definitely remember where I put it." After a thorough search, the gear is eventually unearthed, inspected for its condition and suitability (especially when it's for the kids), all in preparation for the upcoming cricket season.
As cricket fans look forward to what we hope will be a long dry summer filled with nostalgia, time spent with friends and family, and the occasional backyard cricket match that morphs into an intensely competitive international showdown. There's also an extensive calendar awaiting our elite male and female players. Fresh off a one-day series against England, the Blackcaps sojourn through Bangladesh before landing in India for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Meanwhile, the White Ferns are currently in South Africa, engaged in a three-match one-day series and a five-match T20 series. The Blackcaps return home in December for the Summer of Cricket, featuring matches against Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Australia, while the White Ferns will square off against Pakistan and England.
We are also delighted to congratulate our former Chairman, Scott Weenink, on his appointment as the new Chief Executive of NZC. Whilst we’re very sad to have lost Scott, we’re delighted to see him move into this leading role in our sport. We wish him every success in the years ahead and are confident he will do an outstanding job. This appointment to NZC required him to stand down from his role with the NZCPA, with Ross Verry fulfilling the role as Acting Chair through to the Annual General Meeting at the end of this year.
In this edition of Outright we catch up with former CD Stags Craig Ingham and discover what he’s been up to in Nelson, as well as his connection with the Nelson Giants Basketball team. What do fly fishing and cricket have in common? What about hockey and dress hire? Agriculture, farms and art? The answer to all three stumpers is unveiled in our catch up with Otago Sparks Molly Loe. Staying in the deep south our cover story is with newly recruited Volts player Luke Georgeson and his move from Wellington via Auckland (with Money Empire) before landing in Dunedin. ND Spinner Freddy Walker shares his story on how he turned a redundancy around into a flourishing new career path and former Auckland Aces player, Teja Nidamanuru, reveals how a trip to the Netherlands completely changed his life both on and on the off the park.
To read the magazine click here or on the image above.
We hope you enjoy this edition of Outright and wish you all a safe and happy summer.
Nga - mihi nui
NZCPA