The UK is no longer the only destination Kiwi cricketers choose to go during the New Zealand winter months – Holland is fast becoming an exciting alternative to the traditional cricketing nations.
Canterbury Wizard Brandon Hiini is just one of a collective of domestic players who have headed to the land of windmills and clogs to help build their cricket skill set during the Northern Hemisphere summer.
Hiini has taken up residency at Voorburg club, based in Den Haage, 30 minutes from Amsterdam. He chose Holland because some of his fellow Wizards have played there previously. “I talked with Shanan Stewart and Johann Myburgh during our summer about wanting to go somewhere for the winter other than the UK,” he said. “As they had both played in Holland previously they had some good contacts and advice on choosing a club.
“I had already had three and a half seasons in the UK and wanted a change of scenery and culture, and a new challenge.”
The change of scenery also means a change of playing conditions. It is quite common to see artificial pitches in Holland and Hiini’s club is one of only a handful that has a grass pitch. “My club is only one of four or five clubs that has a grass wicket. All other clubs have artificial wickets on their main grounds and some even have artificial grass on the outfields,” he said. “That’s because cricket is very much a minority sport.”
In New Zealand Hiini is used to playing on reasonably even pitches of high quality, however with artificial pitches can also come unevenness, which in turn brings its own challenges. “The artificial wickets do not have concrete underneath like our ones in NZ; they generally have gravel underneath them which can become very uneven when it rains, leading to inconsistent bounce and a pretty difficult cricket wicket,” he said. “My club has a grass wicket, which was one of the reasons I decided to go there, although it is the first season they have played on it, and it will take another year or two before it settles and becomes a very good wicket.”
The cricket season in Holland is shorter than the likes of the UK and that was another reason why Hiini chose Voorburg. “You play less cricket which isn't so hard on the body, and you still get time to do your own training and have some time to yourself,” he said. “They also have a two week break at the end of July, so there is no cricket for two weeks. That gives us all a chance to head off around Europe and do some travelling.”
Not only has he been experiencing a different cricketing environment, he’s also had to get used to a new language and driving style. “The most interesting thing I have experienced is driving on the other side of the road, and having to drive a manual, so it has all taken a while to get used to. As well as the Dutch language, but thankfully most of the Dutch speak English,” he said.
