‘No regrets’ for retiring wicketkeeper
White Ferns wicketkeeper Katey Martin announced her retirement yesterday, saying she had ‘‘no regrets’’ at the end of a career that spanned more than two decades.
The 37-year-old made her Otago debut in 2001 and her international debut in India in 2003 and finished with 199 appearances for the White Ferns across tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals.
Her last outing was in their final match at the Women’s Cricket World Cup on home soil earlier this year.
The team had missed out on a place in the semifinals by the time they played Pakistan at Hagley Oval in Christchurch and Martin was in tears as she stood in the middle for the national anthem for what turned out to be the last time.
‘‘I knew heading into that match it could be my last time playing for New Zealand, hence why I was quite emotional,’’ she said in a statement.
‘‘I took some time after the tournament to talk to family and friends to solidify my decision.’’ Martin’s career included 103 ODIs, 95 T20Is, and a single test. ‘‘It’s been an incredible experience,’’ she said
Away from sport, Martin has established a career as an IT consultant, but she is set to remain part of the cricketing landscape going forward.
She has expressed a desire to remain involved in the game as a wicketkeeping coach and mentor and has been a commentator for Spark Sport since the 2020-21 summer.
■ Black Caps captain Kane Williamson is returning home from the Indian Premier League for the birth of his second child.
His Sunrisers Hyderabad team said their captain would travel home immediately to be with wife Sarah for the birth.
What it means for Williamson’s arrival in England for the muchawaited three-test series – which starts at Lord’s in just over a fortnight on June 2 – is unclear. His Black Caps team-mates, minus the IPL contingent, touched down this week ahead of tomorrow’s four-day tour opener against Sussex.
Williamson had a tough IPL season for the Sunrisers by his very high standards. In 13 innings he scored 216 runs at a strike rate of 93.5 – the lowest of the 44 batters who have scored over 200 runs.