Baseball, Boxing and Baz at the Basin

And the (Kiwi) South African who didn't choke

A lot is spoken about the ‘history’ of the Basin Reserve and the assumption is made that it is all about cricket having staged the first organised matches in the country and become the physical and spiritual home of the game in New Zealand. Not so.

Over 20 international sports and activities have been staged at a venue which began its life as a shallow-water marina for boats to take shelter from the savage Wellington winds before an epic earthquake in 1855 dramatically changed the topography forcing the ‘basin’ to rise by approximately a metre and half creating a swamp.

The flattest, driest land was reserved for building by the earliest colonisers so the Basin was given over to the creation of a dedicated cricket field. In the absence of any other wide, flat and dry spaces in the city, anybody and everybody organising a large social or sporting event used the Basin.

From baseball to boxing, gymnastics to tennis, football and rugby, and wood-chopping, the Basin has staged it all. Not to mention the concerts, fairs, fund-raisers and the craft-beer festival which takes place every year - ‘Beer in the Basin.’

Brendan McCullum is an icon at the Basin. Born and raised in the South Island’s Dunedin, his name is nonetheless preserved on three bronze plaques at various points of the ground. He might be returning as the head coach of the opposition this time around, but he is still revered. And he is clearly respectful and humbled by the adoration.

Another message has been made clear: Don’t allow his England team to get on top of you in a Test match. If and when they do, a ruthlessness descends from which there is no escape. The enormity of McCullum’s charisma and brilliance as a cricketer turned around his own country’s fortunes from the nadir of 45 all out at Newlands in the Boxing Day Test of 2013 (Vernon Philander 6-3-7-5) and his influence has done the same for England. He is a potent genie.

Grant Elliott’s engaging honesty, humour and embracing personality made our lunch-time interview one of my favourite ever. (Must be several thousand to choose from.) “You’re not playing for the city of Chittagong or Hyderabad when you sign up for the franchise, are you? You’re playing for your wallet. Absolutely nothing beats playing international cricket for your country, the camaraderie and spirit, the satisfaction of winning.

Elliott played one game for the SA under-19 team before bizarrely being omitted from the Gauteng contract list in 2002 when he had been assured of a job. “I had no choice but to leave South Africa, I suddenly had no job and no explanation for why. Shukri Conrad was the coach and he said he didn’t know why, or what had happened, which I thought was strange.

“So I signed up to play club cricket in Christchurch, moved to Wellington and was called up to the New Zealand squad in 2008 after completing my residency,” said the man who will always be remembered by many cricket followers for the six he hit off Dale Steyn at Eden Park to put the Black Caps into their first World Cup final.

“I try not to be defined by that moment, there are other things in life to focus on, but a lot of people remember me for it. Of course I felt for Dale and the SA boys, but I had been fully committed to New Zealand in every aspect of my life and career for a long time by then so there were no second thoughts about celebrating.”

Final Thought: Is the current T20 franchise circuit sustainable? Will Test cricket survive, and even thrive again? “Pretty much every cricketer who has ever played at international level will say there is no greater satisfaction; franchise cricket doesn’t get close. It’s pretty simple to me – just move the fees for international cricket closer to the cash players are earning from the leagues. Cricketers would much prefer to play meaningful cricket for their countries than meaningless cricket for arbitrary teams, but they are more likely to take the second option if it pays four or five times as much.”

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