Grass is greener on the other side for Tickner
A FORMER Gold Coast Dolphins quick who held Baggy Green aspirations looms as the one who got away as he closes in on a New Zealand call up.
Now based back across the Tasman after 10 years on the Coast, Blair Tickner enjoyed a breakout season with Napierbased Central Districts.
The 24-year-old took 66 wickets for the Stags across all formats to finish runner-up as New Zealand’s domestic player of the season, with a place in a yet-to-be-confirmed New Zealand A tour later this year his likely reward.
Having returned to his family’s Southport home for 10 days earlier this month, The Southport School product will continue his push for a Black Caps debut with a third season in England starting soon.
“I feel like I’ve had a good season, that’s all you can really do,” Tickner, who snared a maiden first class five-wicket haul last month, said.
“You talk to some of selectors and they tell you you’re going well and to keep going.”
Tickner’s cricket journey began with Queens in under-12s and eventually led him to the Dolphins, where he spent six seasons from 2008-09 to 2013-14.
A season in England in 2014 then proved fateful for the former state junior representative.
“I met a guy over there, Angus Schaw, who wanted me to come and play for Hawkes Bay (in Napier) and after that season I ended up playing for the Central Stags.
“I was here (on the Coast) for nearly 10 years. I always felt like I was good enough and I just didn’t get the opportunities that some of the guys from other clubs were getting.”