Ten-year-old Reuben Wilson watches the Blackcaps on Sky Sports at home near Dublin in Ireland.

But yesterday, more than 18,000km from home, Reuben was sitting down shooting the breeze with tall right Black Cap medium quick Tim Southee over a quarter pounder at McDonald's at Mount Maunganui.

'Hi, I'm Tim,” and the Blackcap sticks out that big mitt that launches a cricket ball at 130km/h plus. The mitt is gratefully received by a wide-eyed Irish boy. 'Hi, I'm Reuben.”

Cricket is largely a sofa sport in Ireland. 'There is a club,” explains dad Matt. 'But it's hard to get to.”

However, since Reuben arrived at Mount Primary two months for the summer he's hooked with cricket. Or cricket hooked him. 'We play a lot of cricket at school here.”

The meeting at McDonald's was a chance for fans to meet the Northern Knights McDonalds SuperSmash Blackcaps over a burger and a side of fries.

It was a garish occasion …. Mitch Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Dean Brownlie and Daniel Flynn bedecked in the pink of the Northern Knights set against a backdrop of yellow and red.

Blackcaps Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Mitch Santner with young fans, from left: Jamie Veall, Tyne Johanson and Esme Johanson.

But it was the moment, the occasion – young cricket fans mixing it with heroes. And anything that could bear a signature was signed.

A yellow plastic cricket bat bearing the name Tim Southee will be headed back to Dublin and will no doubt be a talking point at the local primary school.

'I am not really into the bowling,” says the boy from Ireland. 'I enjoy the batting.” So there was stuff to talk about with his new Blackcap mate because Tim Southee is a pretty handy and powerful lower order batsman.

'After just two months in New Zealand, Reuben is mimicking the sweep shot and the cut,” says dad Matt. 'But he really just likes smashing it.” So does Tim Southee.

'I remember being Reuben's age going along to games and watching and getting autographs,” says Tim.

'So meeting and hanging out with the kids is great. I hope it's something worth remembering for them. And it's nice for us to be so accessible to the kids and the public.”

When the Northern Knights step out onto the Bay Oval against Otago on Sunday afternoon, Reuben Wilson could well be in the crowd to watch his new Blackcap friend.

The Knights play a double header this weekend, against Auckland in Hamilton tomorrow and the Otago Volts game Sunday afternoon.

'So off to the Mount for a swim Sunday morning,” says Tim Southee. 'And the cricket in the afternoon at 2.10pm.”

The fact that it's expected to be raining in Dublin on Sunday with a high of nine degrees and a low of six will make cricket in the sun at Bay Oval even sweeter for Reuben and his dad.