Test cricket teams for NZ and Australia welcomed at Premier House in Wellington
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon faced a few balls from Black Caps quick Neil Wagner last night during a game of backyard cricket at a reception for the New Zealand and Australian cricket teams at Premier House ahead of their test starting on Thursday.
Image 1 of 19: Pat Cummins of Australia and Tim Southee of New Zealand are welcomed at Premier House. Photo / Hagen Hopkins
Luxon managed a few swings and misses before connecting to block a yorker, but then fell to the next ball from Wagner – a sneaky slower ball that snuck between bat and pad before taking the off stump.
Chris Bishop, Sports Minister and self-confessed cricket tragic, fared a little better, rolling his arm to take a wicket then smashing one to the boundary before retiring.
The Black Caps face Australia in a two-test series beginning at the Basin Reserve in Wellington before they meet again in Christchurch on March 8. New Zealand are regrouping after a 3-0 defeat in the T20 series against Australia, facing their old foe for the first time in a test match since 2020.