I just enjoyed my first 5 day cricket test match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The New Zealand national team, The Black Caps, played the West Indies. Coming into the match I didn't know anything about cricket and while I'm still fuzzy on the finer points of the game, I now understand it well enough to enjoy watching the game play (mostly thanks to the endless patience of my neighbors and a 50 page chat with ChatGPT.)
This blog entry will focus on my experience at the early summer match at the beautiful Hagley Oval and I'll avoid embarrassing myself with assessments of cricket or assumptions that my experience this week was typical across New Zealand, The Commonwealth or the cricketing world. I know enough that most cricket matches are not 5 day test matches, Christchurch is different from Auckland, and New Zealand cricket has its own special flavor.
The Vibe
The most satisfying part of the odyssey was the vibe. It was a peaceful and enjoyable experience. Many times over the five days I would have flashes of nostalgia triggered by the sights and happenings of the day. My first memories took me back to my father's railroad work picnics in Mobile, Alabama in the 1980's. There was a strong feeling of connection and belonging on the grounds. Kids would entertain themselves hitting balls, passing (soccer) footballs, playing tag and lining up for autographs between plays. The grass was covered by every type of relationship you might imagine. There were lone wolfs like me laying on the grass with a beer just enjoying the weather, their thoughts and the gameplay. There were friends of all ages that took the day off, old couples, young couples, new families, classmates, grandparents with their grandkids, and old men hiding from their wives.
Sometimes I would move into a daydream and find myself sitting on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores of my youth or sitting in the bleachers at NAF Atsugi from my US Navy days cheering on my squadronmates.
There was quite a bit of daydreaming and full-on dreaming. At lunch and tea breaks and at rain delays, I worked in quite a few wonderful naps.
In between overs or at breaks, I'd head to concession, put on some complimentary sunscreen, refill my water bottle, use the loo/head and have a few chats with my neighbors. I saw nothing but broad grins everywhere I went. When I would open my Alabama mouth, the eyes on my neighbors would get very wide. My elders were never bashful to broach the questions about the US that most of my peers and juniors were too polite to ask. Over the course of 5 days, I exchanged a lot of email addresses and am glad to have made a handful of new friends of my curious neighbors.
The Venue
As a Chicago Cubs fan, we pride ourselves on Wrigley being the most polite baseball park in MLB. We don't heckle or do "the wave" at The Friendly Confines but cricket at Hagley Oval is next level in regard to politeness. If the opposing team has a great hit or wicket (out) the entire crowd will applaud. If an opposing player hits a milestone (like 100 runs/century in a game) they may even receive a standing ovation.
I came alone 3 of the 5 days and felt completely safe. Even the deep paranoia that I've developed over 30 years in the military and cybersecurity had trouble keeping me on the alert at the Oval. I'd go to the loo and leave my things alone without worry. Several times I went into a deep sleep without fear of mugging or harassment.
As beautiful as the ivy is at Wrigley Field, it can't hold a candle to the beauty of Hagley Oval. One side of the pitch is boxed in by The Port Hills which are ancient volcanic mountains and surrounded by wide canopy English Pane trees. Also, watching the game from the green grass of the oval is certainly much more comfortable than the party of the Wrigley bleachers.
It really feels like being at the park or beach without the hassle of sand or ducks. Much like finding a good spot on Gulf Shores, I had to stake out my plot each day. Unlike Gulf Shores, the ticket requirement at Hagley Oval guarantees I'll have some room to lay down when I need a nap without children or "bushwhacked dads" tripping over me.
I joked with my neighbor that "I paid $90 for the right to do nothing, on my own patch of grass, for 5 days."
Hagley Oval is so gorgeous and therapeutically peaceful that if there were just kids playing games on the pitch, I might be persuaded to stake out my square meter and soak it in on a summer day.
The Vestments
The first day I showed up in sweats and sneakers and sat (& laid) on the grass all day. I picked up a folding event chair (make sure it is low to the ground), picnic blanket & water bottle for the other days. I'd sit in the chair until I was ready for a nap then slide onto the blanket.
I had rain on the first day, cold on the second, wind on the fourth and day 5 was perfect. When I watch the White Ferns play in March, I'll wear linen pants & a linen jacket with a well fitted brimmed hat (all probably from Rodd & Gunn) with a small umbrella in the kit. The wind at Hagley Oval is generally pleasant but the sun can come in like a wrecking ball when it shows up in the afternoon. Some light layers of bright linen worked best for me. Many people are wearing rash guards (beachwear) which would probably be a good option. I think jandals/flip-flops would be comfortable but sitting on the side of a pretty steep hill, hiking sneakers seem to be a safer idea. Most of my neighbors are in bucket hats, shorts and hiking sneakers/trainers with a few opting for beachwear, jandals or Crocs. I found a ballcap was best for napping using my low event chair as a pillow but a wide hat best for protecting my ears and neck from the nearby ozone hole. It confirmed the wisdom of my neighbors choosing a bucket hat which works well in both modes.
The temps between the 9:30am gates opening and stumps at 7pm can be quite wide. A good jacket or blanket can go a long way in making the experience comfortable. All 5 days had much different weather. By the end, I had enough sense to dig deep into the weather forecast.
The Vittles
You can't bring drinks in but can bring empty water bottles and can bring food. Mai packed a great lunch for me one day. Just make sure the bag inspectors can quickly sort out what you're bringing in.
I ate from the varied food trucks the other days. Many people brought in their own lunches and snacks. Some of the spreads created enough jealousy for me to take a run at being invited for a bite.
At the food trucks there were good fish & chips, burgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, gelato and coffees. There were also several solid vegan & vegetarian offerings. I did order "an American hotdog" on the last day which left me with so many questions I've decided to cover it on a different blog entry once I can process what it was trying to say (it was a white german weiner with cheese, ketchup, mustard and BBQ sauce. It was delicious but made me think I should call the US State Department and request they invest in an international hotdog educational initiative (including why Chicagoans are always worried about ketchup.)) (Just a side note, LLM's over use em-dashes. Pretentious bloggers love parenthetical side notes. The worst of us like to put a parenthetical statement inside another one. I just did that and I am so happy with myself that you should be embarrassed reading this (and should definitely not like or retweet this.))
Boundary Road Brewery was on bar duty this match. They served wine, beer and other alcoholic options. They also specialized in low carb & low alcoholic beers making it easy to navigate a 10 hour session on the grass without getting too fat or intoxicated. They gifted a 4-pack coozy which was great in keeping me on the grass longer.
There were hydration stations for filling water bottles and plenty of soft-drink and Powerade options.
The Vibrations
I entered Hagley Oval to convalesce from an illness. I was also in the middle of a pivotal and stressful stretch of work. I'm a few months from hitting "half a century" of birthdays, I'm as far from my birthplace as I can be without leaving the planet, and I'm somehow at the helm of a multinational cybersecurity company. To say that I regularly find myself overwhelmed is probably an obscene understatement. The five days I have spent reflecting on my life, seeing the continuity of life from my neighbors and the wonder of nature from my square meter of grass has left me filled with gratitude, peace and hope.
5 days at the oval with my neighbors, New Zealand weather and the crash course in cricket has left me in a much better state than when I first laid on the grass. If my experience of recuperation and alignment is a norm in cricket, it's easy to understand why there are so many people dragging their chairs and blankets to the hills overlooking the stumps.
The Verdict
Watching cricket is a bit more entertaining than watching the ocean rage and much less entertaining than watching The Cubs winning at Wrigley. That said, spending 5 days with the Black Caps and my neighbors at Hagley Oval was salve for my soul.
There was a refreshing fountain of kindness, community, presence in the moment and gratitude for the things of virtue. It was a bootcamp for this American in aligning my tempo to the Kiwi "she'll be right" frequency. As I'm writing this, I'm grieving that it's over and blocking my calendar for when the ladies play in March.
It was edifying meeting my neighbors, learning a new sport and reflecting on some of my fondest memories. I'm thankful to the New Zealand air, Christchurch people, Hagley Oval vistas & grass, the Black Caps' & West Indies' mana and the game of cricket for helping me slow down and bask in the wonder that is life. It was an unexpected, healing, and confounding treat.
