Patience - a virtue that Ben Wheeler has grown to know (and endure) over the course of his career.
The 25-year-old, who hails from Blenheim, has an injury history that would take you more than a few minutes to read. Amongst his six previous ODI caps in mid 2015, Wheeler has been kept off the park through numerous ailments and subsequent treatment, enduring many frustrating setbacks along the way.
On Tuesday night in Napier, his thirst to return to international cricket was quenched, with Wheeler helping the BLACKCAPS to a six-wicket win against Bangladesh in his Twenty20 debut.
The left-arm quick admitted he allowed himself a moment to reflect on his path back.
“It’d been a long wait. I got a taste of it with two overseas tours and then to sit pretty much the whole season out with a back injury, and come back and still not be right was tough,” said Wheeler.
"There were a few nerves, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t. The guys put some good confidence in me though and basically just said go and do my thing. It was nice when that first ball swung quite a bit and I was able to work into it from there.
“It was really cool, nice to have a home crowd behind you. It swung at the start and it was nice to get those early wickets.”
Wheeler wasn’t the only player to wear the BLACKCAPS beige for the first time, joining both Lockie Ferguson and Tom Bruce in making their Twenty20 debuts.
For Bruce, who plays alongside Wheeler for the Central Stags, it was his first taste of international cricket altogether. Despite being unluckily run out for seven, Bruce played his part in capturing Wheeler’s first wicket of the night, taking a running catch in the deep to dismiss the dangerous Tamim (11).
Wheeler said it was a special to play alongside a long-time friend in Bruce and had plenty of praise for Ferguson’s first-up effort.
“It was pretty cool to get that wicket with Brucie. We’re pretty good mates and for him to take that probably would have settled his nerves … it’s pretty cool to have that in the wicket column.
“He was just excited like I was to get that first game out of the way and I think the family is still pretty stoked to get the win - that’s what it’s all about.”
"Lockie was on fire when he got the ball in his hand and there was just a really good atmosphere out there. The pitch was really good and probably suited us with a bit of pace and bounce in it.”
The victory is the BLACKCAPS fourth on the trot this tour against Bangladesh, but they’ll need to win at least one of the next two in Mount Maunganui on Friday and Sunday to secure the Twenty20 series.
Wheeler acknowledged winning the first match was helpful in a number of ways.
"Especially in T20 cricket, momentum is massive and if we can take some of things we did well tonight into that game, then that will hold us in good stead.”
