Cricket: Bowling Baz not the only highlight

Taieri seamer Jack Hunter sends down a delivery during an Otago net session at Tonga Park...
Taieri seamer Jack Hunter sends down a delivery during an Otago net session at Tonga Park recently. Photo by Linda Robertson.

There is only one thing you need to know about Taieri medium pacer Jack Hunter.

He is the young lad who bowled Black Caps captain Brendon McCullum for eight during a club game last summer.

The 19-year-old owned 'Baz' McCullum that day and is perhaps the last bowler to have been able to make that claim.

McCullum's next innings was for the Black Caps against the West Indies in Dunedin three days later and he bludgeoned 113 from 134 balls.

It was his first test century in three years and it set the tone for a wonderful summer in which McCullum scored a match-winning double hundred and match-saving triple century - both against India.

Picking up a scalp like that is not something you forget.

''I was lucky he left one,'' Hunter said.

''It jagged back and hit his bat [and then on to the stumps]. It was pretty awesome, eh.

''I got a few text messages straight after that saying: 'Well done' and stuff.''

It is hard to top that but Hunter has had plenty of other highlights.

He fielded for New Zealand A during a four-day game against the touring England side in February last year.

He was selected to represent New Zealand at the ICC under-19 Cricket World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates earlier this year.

He is part of the Otago A squad and trains with the Volts whenever possible.

He has his eye on a place in the Otago squad but realises there is a lot of hard work ahead before he can reach that level.

There are also two glorious club wins to celebrate.

Taieri very nearly did not field a senior team this year and the club has found the competition challenging to date.

But Taieri achieved its first win with a six-wicket win against Carisbrook-Dunedin on Saturday and followed up with a surprise win against Green Island in a national club championship knockout game on Sunday.

''The boys were saying that is the first win we've had before Christmas in two years. We didn't know what to do with ourselves when we won.

''It was awesome. Our average age would be 20. Our oldest guy is 23, so we are obviously rebuilding. Before I came into the team we lost six senior guys in a year.''

 

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