Craig Cooper: The symbolism of a game of cricket on Treaty grounds

Waitangi Treaty Grounds - a spot that's perfect for a game of cricket.

OPINION:

The last time I visited Waitangi, a plastic set of cricket stumps and a bat stood idle on the grassy expanse in front of the Treaty House.

Play had been abandoned, despite the fact it was a fine day. Not a player in sight. Someone had taken the ball.

I wish I had taken a photo of the symbolism - no one wanted to play the colonial game at the birthplace of the nation.

Which was a shame, because the treelined lawn with ocean views is a perfect spot for a game of cricket.

For several years, I coached or managed cricket teams. My son was often the only Māori player in the side.

Take a look at the New Zealand men’s cricket squads of recent months.

With Trent Boult (who is Ngāi Tahu with ties to Ngāti Porou) rejecting a national contract, and Ross Taylor (cricket’s first bonafide Pasifika star) retiring, the national side is now looking less diverse.

But without trying too hard, it’s not difficult to find a strong te ao Māori theme within cricket.

Players wield a taiaha in pursuit of victory, bowlers perform an impression of a haka each time they think they have taken a wicket, and kaumatua preside over tikanga.

The game is strongly connected to the whenua, the land.

Not only is a large piece of land needed for the game, but the condition of the ground is also integral to the outcome of the match.

The outfield determines the return batters will get for their shots, and as the day progresses, it may get faster. Or slower, if it becomes wet.

The pitch is the source of great interest to batters and bowlers, as it determines how the ball will react.

It too, changes as the match progresses, and it wears. Each time a player steps onto a cricket field or pitch, they connect to the land.

They are also bound by the game’s tikanga - cricket is rife with protocols and rules, and strange, weird names for positions on the field.

Although many of the rules are written down, they are open to interpretation. There is also a heavy reliance on scorekeepers and umpires.

The game must be accurately interpreted and recorded for an outcome to be determined. Players need an understanding of cricket’s version of Te Tiriti.

In another irony, the need for a large area to play the game has contributed to the preservation of the whenua, although not many Māori kids play the game.

The game itself can struggle to attract players. It consumes large chunks of family time on weekends, which has led some provinces to introduce weeknight games.

And cricket kids tend to have cricket parents, so introducing new blood is a challenge.

Why don’t Māori kids play cricket?

The simple reason is that in New Zealand, it’s still widely considered a “white” game. Which is bizarre, given that globally that is not the case.

The hope is that it’s not for long - that one day soon, the Black Caps become a little more brown.

* Craig Cooper is a former Hawke’s Bay Today editor. He writes a weekly column called Reverse Spin.