Ryan Fox is taking a week off to watch the Black Caps after finishing second at the Dutch Open. Photosport
Ryan Fox is taking a week off to watch the Black Caps after finishing second at the Dutch Open. Photosport
By Andrew Alderson at Lord's
Golfer Ryan Fox has received a call-up to the New Zealand cricket team.
Fresh from his loss to Victor Perez on the fourth play-off hole at the Dutch Open, he's joined the Black Caps at Lord's as a devoted fan ahead of tonight's first testagainst England.
The 35-year-old strolled onto the hallowed turf to mix with the side in their warm-up.
Soon pace bowler Trent Boult was spied in an imaginary stance swinging an invisible driver.
Fox has links to the team and was invited into the inner sanctum by Black Caps media manager Willy Nicholls. The pair got to know each other well during Fox's first major at St Andrews in 2015.
"I also played cricket at school with Timmy [Southee], have played golf with Boulty and Wags [Neil Wagner] and even got some throw downs today from Devon Conway, so it's been pretty special."
Fox also has another significant tie to the game.
His grandad, Merv Wallace, was a New Zealand cricket great who scored twin half-centuries on his test debut at Lord's in 1937. He toured again – and was instrumental – in the success of the legendary '49ers.
World War II robbed Wallace of his best years but he was considered the country's pre-eminent thinker and technician on the game during that period.
Former New Zealand captain John Reid, in Joseph Romanos' book, Merv Wallace – A Cricket Master, called him "the most under-rated cricketer to have worn the silver fern".
Wallace died in 2008 aged 91.
"I've never been here [to Lord's] before," Fox said.
