Cricket icon visits Tauranga home

A Tauranga family is feeling honoured after winning the chance to verse New Zealand cricket hero Lance Cairns in a match in their own backyard today.

Kale Wellington, 6, batting the ball bowled by New Zealand cricket icon Lance Cairns who visited their family home today. Photos by: Daniel Hines.

Tony Wellington's photograph of his six-year-old cricket-mad son Kale won his family a backyard cricket match with Lance as part of the Golden Summer of Cricket promotion.

Posted to Golden Homes' Facebook page, the photograph of Kale standing in his father's 17-yard-long self-built artificial cricket pitch gained about 600 likes.

Tony built the pitch about two years ago for then four-year-old Kale, who was just starting out in the game.

'He was one of the younger kids to play competitive Saturday cricket,” says Tony, who says Kale is moving up a level next year to help develop his skills.

Morgan Wellsbury, 8, Kale Wellington, 6 and Caleb Wellsbury, 6.

This is the first time Tony, who has played for Mount Maunganui Cricket Club for about 17 years, has versed Lance in a cricket match. But says Lance is not an unfamiliar face after meeting him in 1996 when the cricket icon was coaching an Otago team.

'I'm absolutely overwhelmed and I think it's a real honour to have him here especially being a NZ icon like he is, known as the Excalibur, which is what made Lance a NZ hero.”

To mark the occasion, Tony invited some of Kale's cricket team to even out playing numbers.

Lance says seeing children's excitement for cricket is where the continuity of the game comes from.

The Wellington family meet New Zealand cricket icon Lance Cairns.

'When you look at what's happening around the country with bowling clubs and golf clubs…you do sort of worry about if the numbers are still there for cricket – and I think the numbers are still there.

'The Mount especially is very, very strong in primary and secondary schools. It gets you thinking that the game is in pretty good health.”

As part of the win, Tony also receives a brand new six-burner barbecue.

Cricketing great Ken Rutherford was also due to make the match, but is away. A meet and greet is being organised with the Wellington family and Ken at a later date.

Tony wanted to claim his prize this weekend as a birthday gift to his 65-year-old father, who is also a big cricket fan.

Kale Wellington, 6.

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