Young Matua cricketer meets up with cricket heroes Kane Williamson and Lasith Malinga

A local Matua cricket fan was excited to meet his heroes on Saturday when he joined captains Kane Williamson and Lasith Malinga for the pre-match coin toss on the pitch prior to the Black Caps v Sri Lanka match to decide the batting and bowling order.

Hamish Boyt, 11, who attends Otumoetai Intermediate and plays for the Albion Junior Cricket Club, won the ANZ competition to be the Coin Toss kid which involved joining the two team captains on the pitch before the match.

Hamish hopes to play for the Black Caps one day and be an all-rounder like Jimmy Neesham.

Hamish said it was hard to pick his favourite part of the day because it was all so exciting.

"Kane Williamson is my favourite player so that was really cool meeting him, he signed my ball! It was also cool to see the Sri Lanka supporters chanting and supporting their team."

Head of sponsorship at ANZ, Sue McGregor said Hamish was one of 23 young cricketers selected to take part in the pre-match ritual this cricket season.

"We are delighted to bring together the next generation of cricketers and their heroes. At ANZ we believe it's important to involve and encourage young cricketers, which is why we continue to support grassroots sports. We hope that when they meet their idols out on
the pitch, they are inspired to continue training hard and pursuing their dreams," she said.

The Coin Toss competition was one part of ANZ's long-standing support of Kiwi cricketers. Since 2009 ANZ had given more than $900,000 to help cricket players achieve their cricket goals.

Applications were also open for an ANZ On Your Team grant. ANZ was asking what they can do to get behind your team this summer, whether it's gear or a unique experience with sports heroes.

Cricket players, clubs, teams and fans across New Zealand can apply at anzcricketworld.co.nz