Notable notes: A walkabout at wellington

Stu, a former first-class cricketer himself, was at the Basin Reserve for the first three days, but was supposed to fly out to Christchuch on Sunday. However, at the airport he found out the staff had booked him for next month.
“I went for a beer with my old man. He was up and booked his flight for a month late which was a bit silly. I just think he’s quite cunning,” McCullum joked.

I reach out for my tickets to double check, just in case. No such luck. No staying back in New Zealand for an extra month.

A bowler immortalised for his batting

The curator of New Zealand Cricket’s museum at the Basin Reserve, Jamie Bell, turned out to be much younger — 31 — than his job profile would make you imagine. Of course, it was wrong to assume on my part but there was some sound logic behind that assumption. Here’s that logic: the guy who runs a museum better be ancient himself, otherwise he would run the risk of not being taken too seriously. Doesn’t quite sound logical? Never mind.

“Not everything about a museum is old,” Bell says. “We keep having new additions. The latest addition is Chris Martin’s batting pads.” Why would the museum want to display Martin’s pads, I ask? “That’s the thing. He is our third highest wicket taker in Tests. And yet people remember him for not being able to bat. So I thought it would be a nice addition.”

Next to the fast bowler’s batting pads is a trophy, an out of shape one. It is the ICC Knockout trophy, the only major event that New Zealand have ever won. But why is out of shape? “The earthquake in Christchurch also harmed NZC’s offices. It was there that it fell. NZC, who were moving their office, gave it to us so that it could be safe here,” says Bell.

All this stuff might get relegated to some corner, however, should Mccullum decide to give his 300 bat to the museum.

The bat is indeed going into a cupboard, McCullum admits later, only it is going to the one in his home.