v New Zealand 209 all out
New Zealand 483 all out (following on)
England 256 all out
New Zealand Win by 1 Run
Tuesday 28 February 2023
Played at Basin Reserve, Wellington
New Zealand Beer Ticks - 226
For me, it's all still a little too early and too raw for all the shit.
"What a remarkable game to have witnessed."
"Cricket was the real winner."
"In the future, we'll all be able to say - I was there."
All that is also true if England win an' all. I go to a lot of cricket. I sit in a lot of Long Rooms. I attract people who want to tell me what and who they've seen. Often, it's fucking Bradman they want to claim. One bloke at a Headingley Test told me he'd nearly seen Bradman play. What the fuck does that mean? I put him under close Carrier Bag Firm interrogation. It amounted to - this fella was actually alive when Bradman played at Headingley. He was nowhere near Headingley at the time, mind. Made no attempt to get along to the ground when Bradman was at it. But was effectively in the same country as Bradman at the same time. Still counts (narrator - no it doesn't).
The very next day, another owd 'un said he'd seen Bradman play. Same cross examination. His plausible answers revealed - he'd seen Bradman FIELD.
Anyway, if you're here, in New Zealand, in Wellington, they'll all tell you they were in the ground for Kane Williamson's 242 not out to set up the declaration against Sri Lanka in 2015. New Zealand went on to win by 193 wins.
But, be left in no doubt gentle reader, if you speak to anyone in a microbrewery in Wellington, Waitoa Brewery for eg, they will now, and forever more, claim to have been in the ground for…
"Anderson JM, caught Blundell TA, bowled Wagner N for 4"
I've written all that as a set up really. Because my neighbour in the Basin Reserve Long Room made a truly remarkable claim during the morning of Day 5. When you hear it, you'll understand I had to give him a right old Carrier Bag Firm going over. Facts were always going to be difficult to corroborate on this one. The judgement call was always going to be on honesty, background and credibility. And, on this occasion, I believe him.
This guy claimed he'd once been in a queue to have sex with Janis Joplin, but was never reached.
Put that in your Bradman, Williamson, Wagner anecdotes list.
On the hunt for a debrief venue, we walked through the Mount Victoria Tunnel to our beer destination. And returned on the Number 2 Bus to Karori via the Hataitai Bus Tunnel. Marvellous.
Waitoa Social Club
32 Waitoa Road, Hataitai, Wellington 6021
During the adventure, I harvested my 226th New Zealand Beer Tick. Which will be my last NZer for a while. And we'll also have to return to a number of No Beer Blogs as we get back into the Sheffield United saddle for a bit.
The Fermentation Vessels were down the side and some Tunning was behind us. You really feel in the heart of this working brewery. Superb mixed model as well. Any food you ordered at the bar, particularly Chips, were sourced via a quick telephone call to;
Supremo Takeouts
2 Moxham Avenue, Hataitai, Wellington 6021
I know this to be the case, as, after he'd delivered a bag of chips, I followed him back to his shop. Once your Chips had been discreetly delivered, the Waitoa Social barman decanted them into a bowl and placed a sauce ramekin of aioli on the side to give you the full fucking Gastro Brewery experience.
Later, we cut out the middle man, walked into Supremo and ordered Fish n Chips twice!!!
Twelve beers on in the Waitoa. I went;
Waitoa, Navigator, NZ Pale on Keg at 4%.
Waitoa, Island Hopper, Pacific IPA on Keg at 6.3%
Honestly, I didn't find that particularly Pacificy. I'm reading Galaxy and Bru-1 hops. Which seem an odd choice for that alleged style.
Waitoa, Mosaniac, Single Hop (Mosaic) IPA on Keg at 6%
Not for me. I didn't think it showed the hop off. At. All.
And the Outstanding Beer of an outstanding day (of cricket) on an outstanding tour (of dodging rain, cyclones and other weather events) can go to;
Waitoa, Dreamwave, Hazy IPA on Keg at 6%
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