Nathan Astle To Play In Hamilton

Popular big-hitting batsman Nathan Astle is looking forward to dusting off his bat for one more round with Australia in the Titans International Twenty20 cricket spectacular.

Astle is one of five BLACKCAPS stars of recent years confirmed today for the Samsung NZCPA’s Masters XI to take on their Australian rivals in Hamilton on February 24.

Astle said he’s looking forward to stepping back onto Seddon Park - cherished for its short square boundaries - for the Thursday evening bash against the old foes. “Knowing them, I’m sure the Australians will put a good team out for us, so it should be a good competitive game. It will be great to get out there and have a bit of fun.”

Astle will be reunited in the Samsung Masters XI with former internationals Adam Parore, Shane Thomson, Dion Nash and Richard Jones, all confirmed today for the festival-style match. Stephen Fleming will captain the team, with Craig McMillan and Bryan Young also already confirmed.

Astle joked that he might be keen to “sneak down the order” after picking up a cricket bat just four times since his 2007 retirement as a player.

“Since I finished up, I’ve done a bit of coaching last year and played a couple of games - and that’s it. That’s the only time I’ve picked up a bat. I thoroughly enjoyed my career and had a ball doing it, but it’s been time to catch up on other interests now that I’ve got a bit more free time after 15 years as a cricketer. So I will be going on instinct - but hopefully that’s when I play my best cricket!”

One of those other interests has been competing in the Modified Sprint Racing class on the South Island motorsport circuit, taking up the sport late last year. Hurtling round the track at speeds up to 140kph, Astle won his first race in November and currently sits second-equal on the season points table - outstanding results for a rookie driver.

Playing Twenty20 again will be light relief after the thrills and spills of burning rubber, but Astle is anticipating there might be a few sore bodies in the ensuing days “even if it’s only 20 overs! But it will be nice to catch up with everyone and get out there and have a bit of fun.

"You don’t keep in touch with as many of the guys as you probably should after you retire, so I’m really looking forward to playing with everyone again and catching up. There has been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to make it come together, so we’ll be doing all we can to put on a decent show.”

Astle played 223 one-day internationals and 81 tests for New Zealand - making him New Zealand’s fifth most-capped player of all time. He holds Seddon Park with special affection as, like Fleming, it’s the place where he made his test debut for the BLACKCAPS.

Tickets to the Titans International Twenty20 match between the Samsung Masters and the ACA Masters XI go on sale early this month.


QUICK FACTS

• Deeply competitive allrounder Dion Nash is the only New Zealander ever to have scored a 50 and taken 10 wickets (11/169) in a single test match at Lord's. Nash achieved the career highlight on New Zealand's 1994 tour of England and is also a former BLACKCAPS captain, having led the team in Stephen Fleming’s absence.

• Adam Parore is one of New Zealand’s most successful all-time wicketkeepers who was also talented enough to play as a specialist top order batsman when required. Parore played 78 tests (New Zealand’s sixth most-capped player) and 179 one-day internationals for the BLACKCAPS. He still holds the record for most test wicketkeeping dismissals (201) and the most ODI dismissals in a match (5).

• After dominating domestic cricket with Auckland for several seasons, Richard Jones played test and ODI cricket for the BLACKCAPS in the early 2000s as an elegant top order batsman. He amassed over 7000 runs at first-class level, making him one of New Zealand’s most prodigious cricketers.

• Shane Thomson is a Northern Districts stalwart who played 19 tests and 56 ODIs for New Zealand before retiring at just 28. His finest innings was an unbeaten 120 as he combined with Bryan Young to chase down a thrilling test victory against Pakistan in Christchurch in 1994.