Cricket: Key moment as Black Caps skipper honoured

Brendon McCullum. Photo / Photosport

Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum may not come across as the most traditional of cricketers, but yesterday his efforts in the game were rewarded with an ancient privilege - the keys to the city of Wellington.

The honour, which was in recognition of McCullum's triple century against India at the Basin Reserve last year, was bestowed by Wellington mayor Cecilia Wade-Brown at the same ground yesterday.

The privilege is a modern twist on the original "freedom of the city", which can be traced back to ancient Rome. The authority of Roman generals who had served the Republic or Empire outside of Rome's boundaries would lapse as soon as they re-entered the city.

However, an exception was made for those who had claimed glorious victories. The normal rule would be suspended for a day to allow for a 'triumph', or a victory celebration.

The tradition survived the classical world and developed, albeit with regional differences, across medieval Europe.

In Britain, the 'freeman' status entitled a man to a range of privileges that have changed over time.

They included the right to vote, the right to drive cattle and sheep over city bridges, the right to be hanged by a silk rope if sentenced to execution, and the right, if apprehended drunk by police, to be sent home rather than to a cell.

While these privileges are now merely quirks of history, it remains an interesting question which, if any, the swashbuckling batsman would most like to avail himself of.

McCullum is already free to vote in national elections and, if turnout rates in local-body polls are anything to go by, chances are he'd have little interest in deciding the future of Wellington's grass berms and sewers.

New Zealand's judges are not at liberty to condemn wrongdoers to death nowadays, so the silk rope is redundant.

And as for the blind eye from the constabulary, it's about as easy to imagine McCullum stumbling down Courtenay Place in the wee hours as it is Daniel Vettori turning one square.

That leaves the livestock rights. McCullum is no farmer, but his predilection for horse-racing has been well documented.

So instead of driving sheep through the Mt Victoria tunnel, he might want to persuade Wade-Brown to enlarge the concession to his fillies and geldings.