‘Get ready’: Bocock’s shock call-up for NZ
Peter Bocock sipped his morning coffee with the Black Caps on Tuesday contemplating a gallop on the Basin Reserve outfield and drinks carrying duties. But things escalated quickly for the hand-picked substitute fielder.
As they prepared for day five of the second test against Bangladesh, the Northern Districts wicketkeeper third in line behind BJ Watling and Tim Seifert was suddenly donning the gloves for his country.
‘‘It was about 15 minutes before the start of play, we were out there warming up and I was throwing a couple of balls to the batters and I could sort of hear them saying ‘Boey can catch it’. I was like ‘wow’ and looked over and BJ told me to get ready and take a couple,’’ he said.
Watling was sidelined by a left hamstring niggle and, as stand-in skipper Tim Southee later explained, they were short of specialist slips catchers so ODI gloveman Tom Latham remained in the cordon.
Te Awamutu born and bred, Bocock, 27, is no rookie or wicketkeeping imposter, either. He kept throughout ND’s Ford Trophy campaign and has played three first-class matches and 14 in the Twenty20 Super Smash.
‘‘I used Tom Latham’s gloves, I’m sponsored by Kookaburra as well so it worked out perfectly, and BJ’s pads,’’ he said.
And Watling’s shirt. The one he was given felt too big so he shoulder-tapped Watling for one of his, which meant taping over his test playing number. ‘‘It fitted me a bit better.’’
With Bangladesh offering no objection, Bocock crouched behind the stumps for 33 overs as Neil Wagner and Trent Boult ran through the tourists’ batting to seal an innings and 12 run victory. A chirpy, upbeat kind of character, Bocock fitted the bill and looked the part too.
The closest he got to a dismissal was when tailender Abu Jayed looked to have gloved a short one. New Zealand issued a decision review system challenge but it showed Jayed narrowly missed it. ‘‘That was nothing to do with me. I gave them nothing,’’ he laughed. ‘‘It would have been lovely to get a catch. I was pretty close a few times just missing the outside edge and a few from Wagner just missing the gloves. These things happen.’’