Cricket: Aldridge calls time on long career

Graeme Aldridge, 37, has finally walked away from an outstanding career for the Northern Knights.

Graeme Aldridge has been part of the Northern Knights pace bowling attack for so long it is hard to imagine him not running in with the new ball.

But the 37-year-old, known to all as G, has finally called time on an illustrious career.

He bowled his last over for the Knights in the four-day Plunket Shield match against Canterbury that finished in defeat at Bay Oval on Good Friday.

"I am proud of everything I have done for 15 or 16 years now," Aldridge said. "I have honestly worked hard, and tried to prepare well for each season. It took a while to learn that. It sounds simple but I just really focused on that preparation.

"The bonus of only having a little taste of international cricket is I have always had the winter to get fit again. The international boys are on the road a lot and they don't get those breaks."

Aldridge is the leading wicket-taker in New Zealand's domestic one-day cricket history and the only bowler to take more than 300 first class wickets for Northern Districts - a record that may never be bettered. His 355 scalps easily beats next best Cliff Dickeson (282).

He remembers well his debut game for the Knights in February 1999 and his first wicket.

"It was against Wellington at Seddon Park, my favourite ground. I didn't get my first wicket until about the 20th over and then I got Mayu Pasupati. But I am not really into stats. I do look at them but winning games has always been the key for me and contributing to that."

Aldridge had to wait until 2011 to finally get the call up to play for the Black Caps. He played two ODIs and a T20 international on tour against Zimbabwe.

"I don't have any regrets about not playing international cricket. I wasn't quick enough I guess. I got a taste of it and probably didn't take my chances as well as I should have anyway."

Aldridge was the first student from Otumoetai College to play for New Zealand and a role model for the school's second Black Cap Trent Boult. He has been a consummate professional, polite and well-mannered to umpires, opponents and media throughout his long career. He will be sorely missed as much for the spirit he played the game in as for the long spells of accurate outswing bowling and bags of wickets he took.

Aldridge is not sure what the future holds except for spending more time with his 6-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son.

He has a teaching degree and has started a university degree in business studies to give him more options. Coaching cricket sometime in the future appeals.