After an illustrious career, veteran pace bowler Brent Arnel joined Rob Nicol and Michael Papps as high profile retirements ahead of the 2018/19 season — all of them former BLACKCAPS who carried on setting the bar high for others coming through at domestic level.
At 39, Arnel's longevity as a seamer, with such canny veterans rarely seen since the days of Sir Richard Hadlee and Ewen Chatfield, may have been influenced by the tall, lanky ND man's late arrival on the professional scene.
A product of Counties-Manukau, he had played for a Northern Districts primary school rep team, but Arnel didn't gain selection in any other age-group teams thereafter and re-emerged on the Northern Districts scene only after strong performances at senior District representative level.
In 2001 Arnel was finally selected in the Northern Districts squad and debuted in Cricket Max, the short format domestic competition of the time and a predecessor of today’s T20 format. He was then selected to attend the New Zealand Academy, a contemporaneous, live-in programme for potential BLACKCAPS based at NZC's High Performance Centre at Lincoln University.
Serious stress fracture injuries derailed his progress. However, showing great resolve, he played the following seasons as a batsman only in Hamilton club cricket, patiently rehabilitating so that he could make a return to the top level.
So it was that Arnel made his first-class debut for Northern Districts in 2006 at the relatively late age of 27. He quickly showed his talent, and in 2007/08 took the most wickets in that summer's Plunket Shield (33). His consistency caught the eye of BLACKCAPS selectors and he was ultimately selected for six Tests, his debut against Australia in 2010.
ND's Player of the Year in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons, Arnel’s impact is easily illustrated by his impressive domestic haul of 567 wickets across the three formats, including 15 five-wicket bags.
Arnel made his 111th and final first-class appearance at Napier's Nelson Park in April. MButcher/NZC
After a stint with the Wellington Firebirds where he developed his coaching skills while still firing them down at the crease, Arnel returned to ND to become 2017/18's only back-to-back Burger King Super Smash champion, having won the title with the Firebirds and Knights in consecutive summers.
Peter Zanzottera, ND’s Director of High Performance Programmes, acknowledged the huge contribution that Arnel made to his home association over his career.
“Brent leaves the playing arena as one of Northern Districts' best and most consistent performers. We were pleased to be able to bring him back last season to where it all began, and as usual his contributions on and off the park in 2017/18 were excellent. We thank him for his many years of service and wish Brent, [wife] Jenna and family all the very best for life after cricket.”
Looking back on his journey, Arnel acknowledged all those who played a part in his cricket career:
“After a fulfilling career I decided it was time to hang up my boots. There are many individuals along the way that guided, supported and encouraged me through my accomplishments. To you I owe a debt of thanks.
"Thank you to all the coaches and top men I played alongside. I am very proud to have represented my country and was fortunate to play with and against the best players this country has on offer and around the world. A special mention goes to my wife Jenna and our two young kids Zavier and Avery whose support and understanding means so much to me.
“Thank you to Cricket Wellington for the opportunity to spark my coaching passion while still playing. A huge thanks goes to Northern Districts Cricket for allowing me the privilege of finishing my playing career where it all began and where I learnt so much about the game I love. Cricket has given me so much, and my hope is to be able to give back to the game in other areas.”
Arnel is currently exploring his future career options, with coaching front of mind, having enjoyed having been part of the coaching team for Cricket Wellington, to which he transferred in 2013.
