Published: 05.12.2025
Today we begin with a special New Zealand experience: a cricket match. We leave at 10 a.m., the match starts around 11 a.m., and even though we can only stay until 12:45 p.m., this time is enough to get a real insight into this sport, which is so important to New Zealand.
To get my bearings, I had the basics explained to me: One team bats, the other bowls, and points – called runs – are scored when the batsmen hit the ball and run back and forth between two markers or hit the ball far out of bounds. At the same time, the opposing team tries to take players out; each out is called a wicket. Once a team has lost 10 wickets, its round of batting is over and it can no longer score.
In the recent Test match, New Zealand presented the West Indies with a virtually impossible task: they would have to score over 500 runs before 10 of their players were out of the game – something that is extremely rare in cricket. It is precisely this combination of tactics, stamina, and excitement that makes it so appealing.
With this basic understanding, today we'll watch a short excerpt from a real friendly match. A sporty and culturally exciting start to a full day of travel, which I'll tell you more about later.
🧡❤️
And then there was this little moment in our family history that suddenly came alive again today: After a brief chat with my youngest brother-in-law, it turned out that he had actually been part of a Danish cricket championship team in his youth. I hadn't really noticed it at the time – I was probably far too busy getting to know his sister ❤️.
The woman ❤️ I have been married to for over 35 years today.
So perhaps that was my personal cricket final:
While he was fighting for titles, I was fighting for his sister's heart. And looking back, I probably had the more challenging match – without protective gear, without a helmet, and definitely without a substitute.
So this day comes together in a surprisingly harmonious way: We start with a sport deeply rooted in New Zealand culture, and simultaneously land on a little anecdote from our own family history. A bit of adventure, a bit of nostalgia – and the realization that some games in life are far more important than any championship.
