Singer Elizabeth Marvelly is preparing to sing the New Zealand national anthem for the Cricket World Cup final at the MCG in Melbourne. Photograph by Jason Oxenham.
Singer Elizabeth Marvelly is preparing to sing the New Zealand national anthem for the Cricket World Cup final at the MCG in Melbourne. Photograph by Jason Oxenham.
Rotorua classical-turned-pop singer Lizzie Marvelly will merge both of her loves after being chosen to sing the New Zealand national anthem at tomorrow's Cricket World Cup final in Melbourne.
Miss Marvelly, who has sung the anthem at more than 20 rugby and league games, said she was the captain ofher King's College First XI cricket team.
"This is pretty huge. I think the only bigger live crowd that I have performed to would be the Warriors Grand Final in 2011 [Sydney], but this is very exciting and as a former First XI captain at high school, it's even more exciting."
The 25-year-old, who was born in Rotorua and now lives in Auckland, started playing Kiwi cricket aged 7.
It would be her first time singing at a cricket match, which compounded her nerves even more.
"It's one of those events that the honour is ever-present, it never really diminishes and the nerves are pretty up there as well but it's very exciting. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity." She had been following the team's performance for most of her life and was proud of how it had stepped up for the World Cup.
"I hope that they win. But even just getting to this stage is such an incredible achievement."
One of those hoping to join her over the ditch was her father, who was overjoyed to discover she was off to Melbourne.
"My dad will probably pull some kind of magic feat of flying over the Tasman somehow, maybe on a magic carpet, he really wants to see the game.
"I think he felt that if he couldn't have a son who could play for the All Blacks or the Black Caps then this was the next best thing," she joked.
Miss Marvelly, who put out her third album, Collisions, last year, said she only found out she'd been chosen for the illustrious gig yesterday and expected to fly out to Melbourne this morning.
