New Zealand’s Tickner swaps Tests for flood clean-up as father’s house destroyed

Two days out from the second Test in Wellington came a reminder of more sobering events elsewhere as Blair Tickner, a debutant for New Zealand against England last week, stood on the outfield at the Basin Reserve and fought back the tears.

The fast bowler, 29, hails from Hawke’s Bay, among the regions most affected by the extreme rains of Cyclone Gabrielle. In between the two Test matches, he and Will Young returned to join teammates from Central Districts who were assisting with the clean-up. Tickner’s family home in Awatoto was still underwater.

“My father’s house has been fully destroyed so it was good to get back,” said Tickner, his voice occasionally breaking as he spoke. “Obviously it’s hard times for the whole region, so we were helping out neighbours and whoever else we could.

“It’s really tough at the moment, but Hawke’s Bay is staying strong. You grow up there as a kid and it’s just crazy to see. It’s a bit hard to talk about, really.

“Cricket doesn’t feel hard when you see livestock on the side of the road dead, people crying, their whole lives flipped upside down. Cricket is my life but it’s nothing compared to what people are going through at the moment.”

Cyclone Gabrielle wreaked havoc on New Zealand’s North Island, with last week’s first Test in Mount Maunganui somehow spared the worst of it and ultimately going ahead as planned. Entire communities have been left isolated by the resulting floods, while there have been 11 confirmed fatalities so far.

As such, Tickner’s composure on debut – which returned figures of four for 127 – was all the more remarkable. His father, John, owns a plant hire company and though dealing with the destruction of his house and helping others in the area, he managed to stop in