Cricket: Blind T20 out of sight: Newbie

Western Australian batsman Brad Brider plays a stroke during his unbeaten innings at Cobham Oval. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Dargaville's Ming Ming Edgar is discovering just how difficult it is to play blind cricket against international opponents.

Bowling the ball bearing-filled cricket ball at the wickets, or conversely hitting the ball, let alone fielding without the benefit of vision, is not easy but Edgar is up for the challenge.

The 25-year-old played his first international match yesterday for the New Zealand Development side against the Australian A team at Cobham Oval.

Edgar is well known in Northland for his inspirational sporting antics. He has blown people away by competing at power-lifting competitions, running half-marathons and surfing - all in total blindness.

So the Dargaville lad is adding a string to his bow.

"I've only just started but I'm learning heaps about everything, practice makes perfect and my bowling, batting and fielding are all improving big time," he said.

Edgar was obviously impressed by the scale and organisation behind the cricket international.

"It's amazing that we're playing a team from Australia. I like what they've organised here today, it's quite clever really, the opening ceremony was impressive, with the hakas and national anthems."

Edgar has also impressed his new teammates and New Zealand Blind Cricket Association national president Donna McCaskill with his talent and enthusiasm.

"He's got natural sporting ability and it's not always easy to find that in people and you want to work on that and develop it," McCaskill said.

She met Edgar at a training camp last year and joked that they hadn't been able to get rid of him since.

"He's really caught the bug," she said with a laugh.

Unlike their Australian counterparts, New Zealand did not compete at the recent One-Day World Cup competition in South Africa, won by India.

"Blind Cricket is in a rebuilding phase here, this is a starting point for us - we're giving the guys something to aim for by having the Australians here," McCaskill said.

The two T20 matches at Cobham Oval on Tuesday and Wednesday started the development series and McCaskill hopes it will lead the squad to the T20 World Cup in two years' time or the one-day world cup in four years.

A Kiwi squad of 15 was selected at a series of training camps held around the country from July to September involving more than 40 players.

Three more T20s and one 40-over game remain in the series, to be played at the Waitakere Cricket Club, Te Atatu Park, Auckland.

The Australians showed their depth in the first game on Tuesday beating the New Zealanders by scoring 198 in their 20 overs. The Kiwis replied with 150/1, with James Dunn, the top scorer with a good half-century.

Yesterday, in Edgar's debut match, the Kiwis improved in the field but the Aussies scored 210/1 and the Kiwis scored 176/2. Both teams were pleased with improvements in their performance from the opening match in the series.