New Zealand have named the ICC World Test Championship mace Michael Mason in honour of their former fast bowler who played for the national side in the first decade of the new millennium.
Follow Us
New Zealand finally broke a major jinx in their cricketing history on June 23. When Ross Taylor hit a four off Mohammed Shami, New Zealand had won the ICC World Test Championship. It was their first ICC trophy since the 2000 Champions Trophy, where they had defeated India in Kenya. Kyle Jamieson was the Man of the Match for his seven-wicket haul. There were brilliant contributions from Devon Conway and Kane Williamson.
The Kiwis celebrated long into the night in Southampton after the win. Williamson posed with the maze at the site of the Hambledon Cricket Club, which was established in 1760. They also pocketed home USD 1.6 million. But, they named the championship mace Michael Mason. They gave the maze a human face, so much so that it was given a separate seat on the flight.
Michael Mason was a bowler who played one Test, 26 ODIs and three Twenty20 Internationals from 2004 to 2010. Born in Wairarapa in 1974, Mason was once described by John Bracewell as “the best line-and-length bowler in the country”. Mason was a typical New Zealand bowler, in that he had come up through sheer hard work. Mason earned the reputation for being a workhorse and a reliable performer. His best moment came in the ODI against Sri Lanka in 2006/07. Mason took 4/24 in Christchurch and was named Man of the Match.
Mason’s last international game was way back in 2010 and has since then maintained a low profile. But, in another addition to the nice guy image of the Kiwi cricketers, the current lot decided to name the maze Michael Mason for the years of toil that got him a place in the New Zealand cricket team.
The New Zealand players were ecstatic about winning the maze. There were images shared that Tim Southee did not even want to let go of the maze. Brendon McCullum, the former New Zealand skipper who put the side on the course of the greatness, said it will take weeks for this feeling to sink in.
In an interview to stuff.co.nz, Trent Boult said Neil Wagner had not let go of the maze ever since June 23. Williamson revealed that he was alright from all the celebrations but he was not the last man standing.
However, Tom Latham said the win was a soothing balm to two heartbreaking losses in the finals of the 2015 and 2019 ICC World Cup. “To be involved in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup, to come so close and then come across the line here in a completely different format, a new format that hasn’t been contested before is great. From our point of view to win a Test championship final was probably the biggest occasion. We played some really good cricket leading up to it,” Latham said.
Some New Zealand players have stayed back in the United Kingdom for their County and The 100 commitments. But, most of the Kiwi players are back in New Zealand and they will be celebrating hard once they finish their quarantine period.
