30 year old Wellington pace bowler Hamish Bennett sits down for a wide ranging one on one interview with blackcaps.co.nz in Ireland.
Warning: some of what you will read below may be utterly nonsensical banter and completely unrelated to cricket … and quite funny.
Hamish, Thanks for joining me.
That’s alright mate.
How are you doing?
I’m very well thanks, yeah.
How are you sleeping?
How am I sleeping?
Actually very well because I’m not having a paranoid sleep worrying about my son.
So really enjoying my time in the pit actually!
New son?
He’s 17 months old now, so he’s not that new, but he’s certainly a handful.
I used to love the pit (bed), but now I barely get any time in there, so it’s quality over quantity.
Once you have a kid, your sleep halves. I need quality over quantity these days mate.
However, If I sleep too long - than I am no good … If I have any more than 8 hours then I am done.
Lethargic?
Yeah my days over. Seven and a bit is my optimal.
So it’s quite tough being on tour with guys with no kids as they want to go to bed earlier so i have to stay up in my room until like 1am and get up at 8am because if I go to sleep any earlier than that then I’ll be up way too early.
Let’s talk about your bowling action…
Had it since birth.
I was lucky enough that my Mum and Dad gave me that for free.
The first time I ever saw my action was on a school tour to Australia in 2002. We had this tour video and it had a few shots and then it showed this guy bowling and I said “who the hell is that!?”
They all said “that’s you” and I said “yeah good one.”
So they rewound it and yeah it was me. I was trying to bowl like Chris Martin and it looked nothing like Chris Martin, so I thought wow!
It’s pretty unique isn’t it.
Ohh yeah I’ve had my haters.
It’s something different but for me it gets the job done. I can’t really change it. I’m pretty uncoordinated when it comes to cricket, I feel as though I’m coordinated in other sports but when I see myself bowl on video it goes out the window - although the dream is still alive haha!
What does it feel like when you’re bowling - I’ve been told it feels normal?
Yeah yeah it feels great. Smooth and rhythmical, it’s just not that appealing on the eye.
It’s a conversation starter let’s just say that!
You’ve battled with injuries through your career - did you consider quitting at any stage?
Yep. There was a point when I was 24 or 25. It was just hard coming back from injury and one time I came back and I tore my quad 10 centimetres through the tendon and I thought gee is this worth it?
But then I had a good hard look at myself.
I think deep down I do love playing cricket and as I’ve got older, I think this year particularly, I’ve really appreciated my love for cricket and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Tell me about your dog Norm.
He's wee dog. A Bichon Maltese Pomeranian cross - and yeh his name’s Norm.
Is that short for Norman?
Well in a formal situation maybe, but really just Norm.
Norm Hamish Bennett - he’s taken my first name as his middle name which he’s bloody proud of.
He was our first born and we looked after him like a child and then as soon as we had our actual child we locked him outside and never saw him again (he jokes … and I genuinely laugh).
How have you enjoyed the move to Wellington?
It’s been good so far.
Obviously a lot different to what I’m used to, a lot more hustle and bustle.
Finding a car park, more chance of winning lotto I reckon, especially a free one.
But nah apart from that it’s been a good move.
I think spending over a decade at Canterbury, that is quite long in a job and I think you can just get a little stale and I think that’s what I was - I was just a little bit stale and I needed something new to get the wheels spinning.
It was nothing against my association, but I just think it was time for me to move on.
Do you think it has improved your cricket?
I think one of the bonuses of the move was being able to hang out and surround myself with new people and that challenges you.
There’s also a lot of senior guys in Wellington and I learned a lot from them, particularly in the T20 format.
Was it quite a hard move?
Logistically a nightmare yeah terrible.
Moving islands is hard work.
I’d hate to move countries, although I suppose that would probably be easier because you’d just sell your stuff and go and buy new stuff.
Probably the hardest part was leaving friends and family and leaving something that you’ve been part of for so long.
Some guys got it and some guys didn’t and that was quite hard, although time’s a great healer.
Now in hindsight I hope they can understand why I did it and where it’s got me to currently.
I think I moved for the right reasons, not just for the sake of it. I felt like I had more to offer New Zealand Cricket.
Taking you back - you’re born and bred in Timaru?
Yep, played for Timaru Boys High, South Canterbury, lucky enough to make the NZ 19s and then went to the NZ Cricket Academy … this was after a three month stint at the freezing works!
I want to talk about your NRL style touch refereeing at Wellington trainings…
Yeah I’ve got the full ref’s kit and the whistle and take it pretty seriously.
The key is to take it too seriously! I referee a very good brand which is expected.
It basically came because our trainers would referee and they’d have no idea of the rules. I would run some nice block plays and they would call me for obstruction - and the guy’s catching it on the outside shoulder so it’s not obstruction!
I was blowing up as you could imagine.
So they said why don’t your referee - and I did and it was a hell of a game. Lovely free flowing footy.
Rate yourself?
The key is to keep talking to your players.
I talk to them a lot about their positioning, making sure they’re getting back on side and the markers are square.
Bruce Edgar (coach) is my TMO Bunker if I want to go upstairs for a call. The bunker gets a hard time but he’s got a job to do and I’ve got to rely on him. I’ll advise him on what I’m looking at but he does get a hard time - most of the time because he’s not even watching!
Jeetan Patel's running game has flourished under Bennett's game management. Image: Photosport
What’s the next step? NRL?
If I could get close to being an NRL referee then I’d seriously consider it.
Gary ‘Ghosty’ Baxter saw me ref over five days and he suggested that I sign up to the Wellington rugby league refs accelerator course and do it for a winter … so…
And?
Well I’m in Ireland so it’s quite tough - I can’t really fly back every Friday night for the meetings!
I’d need to go through a pathway - I probably can’t get get accelerated seeing as I haven’t actually played in the NRL…
Despite missing the league officiating opportunity - is it good to be back on tour with the BLACKCAPS?
It’s awesome to be back in the mix and good to be on a winter tour.
It’s good to be able to play cricket and give yourself a chance on the international stage to push your claims to make teams when they’re at full strength or for upcoming tours.
It’s also a chance show to yourself that you belong here and you actually deserve to be here rather than just getting rewarded for domestic deeds.
How tough is it to compete with so many quality bowlers?
Yeah there is a lot of quality around, but you’ve just got to work hard and give yourself the best chance.
At end of the day there’s no point getting bitter about not getting a go - you’ve just got to keep trying to steamroll the door down.
They say the best way to get picked is to pick yourself.
As a player, how different are you this time around compared to your last stint with the BLACKCAPS in 2014?
I’m definitely a better fielder now. I’m probably just better in every regard.
Probably because I am more older and wiser but also I think I was probably a very one dimensional player when I previously played.
I was just a hit the the wicket bowler with the odd bouncer and I’d run in hard.
Now I’ve got variations, I can bowl at the death and can do the core skills.
Any nicknames?
Benny, Harmy - because I used to bowl like Steve Harmison (ex England international) - I probably still do.
How do you see yourself in a team environment?
I’m hungry for the mixer. I’m the designated culture coach with Wellington. Just trying to get the guys out of their rooms.
I like to bring a lot of fizz where appropriate.
I like to explore a city - sometimes after dark…
When I finish playing I will judge myself on would you cross the street for me?
I’d like to think I’ve been a good enough feller and given guys the time of day that they would cross the street and pat me on the shoulder and say “gidday Hamish how are you going?”
That would be it for me really…
Guess I’ll wait to see you in the street then aye…
