Prime Minister John Key was part of the celebrations at the Allied Finance Basin Reserve over the weekend as the venue marked the hosting of its 50th Test. The Prime Minister attended the Saturday afternoon session, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying one of the BLACKCAPS's best sessions of the Test.
“What a wonderful thing to celebrate 50 Tests at the Basin,” the Prime Minister said. “It’s an incredible milestone.”
The leader of the country has always enjoyed cricket. He watched the Hadlees in the early years and used to play, although he describes himself as “no Daniel Vettori!”
Sport is an important part of international relations and Mr Key says cricket is great for building strong bilateral relations with countries and attracting tourists and offshore interests to New Zealand.
New Zealand Cricket recently announced it is in formal discussions to create a strategic partnership with the USA Cricket Association to help promote the game and Mr Key believes it’s a good thing. “Maybe Obama and I can swap ties,” the Prime Minister laughed – reflecting on the John Key/Kevin Rudd rugby tie swapping event.
Although Mr Key is currently busy leading the country, he is hoping to get to more Test cricket in the years to come. “After political retirement I hope to be able to spend all five days at a Test match,” he concluded.
