KEY POINTS:
Almost three decades after the last of his 43 appearances for the All Whites, former New Zealand captain Earle Thomas' competitive spirit still runs strong.
Thomas began trying his hand at a new sport earlier this year, and now finds himself with a serious shot at landing a
national title.
Stopping by the Warkworth Croquet Club during a trip to the local dairy led to an invitation to try the lawn game.
Last weekend he earned the right to represent Auckland in the finals of the Arthur Ross national handicap event in Wellington in March, after winning all five matches in the regional play-off.
His unbeaten run brought him his first piece of silverware in only his second singles tournament - and gave him an early birthday present.
Thomas, who turns 60 on Wednesday, has a varied sporting background, but is best remembered for his soccer career.
A striker, he made his debut in 1967 as a 19-year-old against Singapore in Vietnam, and went on to score 18 goals in 12 years as an international player. In the old national league he was the most prolific goalscorer, ending his playing days on a record 99.
He was also a New Zealand representative in cricket at under-23 level and in basketball as a schoolboy and he has always been a good golfer.
And his professional career has followed his interest in sport.
Before returning to New Zealand two years ago, he was managing director of Spalding in Australia and looked after, among others, newly-crowned Australian Open golf champion Craig Parry.
"I've always played sport and croquet has always fascinated me, but I never really knew what they were doing on the lawn," he said.
"And that's probably why not many people play it - because it looks too hard. But once you know what it's all about, it's pretty simple and I enjoy it."
His progress has impressed observers, who believe his high handicap (because of his short time in the sport) and the speed with which he has picked up on technical aspects give him a real chance of winning the Arthur Ross title.
But Thomas admitted there was little from his soccer background that he could draw on to give him an edge on the croquet lawn.
"I played a lot of snooker in my younger days and this is more like snooker than anything else," he said.
"You're going for your shots and, if you can't, you're heading for safety and waiting till the other person breaks down."
Thomas still retains a keen interest in soccer.
He and nearby neighbour Sam Malcolmson, a former All White team-mate, are looking at coaching Warkworth club next season.
- NZPA