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Matt Henry can finally put his feet up – at least for a moment. In the space of six frantic days the New Zealand seamer has dashed from Colombo to Christchurch for the birth of his son, then straight back to Kolkata to help secure a place in the T20 World Cup final.
“Pretty special to be able to get home for that. Obviously Holly’s doing really well and Jack’s really good as well and Annabelle’s enjoying being a big sister so it’s all good. So yeah, no, it was pretty special to be home for that.”
Those were Henry’s first words after Wednesday’s semi-final win over South Africa, delivered with a sleepy grin that betrayed the travel. He squeezed in two long-haul flights against a backdrop of heightened security in West Asia, and admitted the legs were heavy.
“There was a lot of sleep happening on the way back, to be honest,” he said. “So for me just focusing on obviously my family to get home – that was important for me and then if it worked out that I could get home in time then obviously it’d be great. Sorry, I was always going home but get back for the semi-final, so it’s great to be here.”
Arrival and quick switch-on
Henry landed in Kolkata late on the eve of the match and had time for little more than a shower and a team chat. Still, he has bowled enough in the last 18 months to trust muscle memory. “Well we’ve had lots of cricket, so I think at this point there’s trust,” he explained. “Obviously if there’s rain you can’t train either, so just going for that approach where making sure they’re mentally fresh, mentally ready and just being confident in your skills that you possess. So for me it was getting here and doing a job for the team and thankfully we did that.”
Doing the job
The Black Caps used three spinners to choke South Africa to 113 for 5 after 16 overs, but the closing stages threatened to unravel. Henry conceded 15 in the 17th, James Neesham 22 in the 18th, and Lockie Ferguson 13 in the 19th. South Africa’s chase was back on.
Between overs Henry and Mitchell Santner plotted the finale – yorkers, slower balls, the odd sharp bouncer. The result: two wickets in two balls and only six runs off the 20th. Marco Jansen, who was 52 off 28 and striking cleanly, faced just two of those deliveries.
“I think the way to restrict that side to that total of 169 was a brilliant job,” Henry said. “I think we’d be taking that any day here at Kolkata and Eden Gardens, obviously it’s tough when you’ve got a small side like that as well to protect. It can be really dangerous with the power-hitters they do possess. So I think the way we did a great job controlling that. Also wresting some momentum into our batting innings, which is obviously really good as well.”
Fans back home
Kick-off was 2 am in Auckland yet social media suggests plenty stayed up. “I think everyone will be pretty excited,” Henry laughed. “But I think there’ll be a few tired people as well. I think most people would…” – he trailed off, picturing bleary-eyed supporters creeping into work.
Next challenge
New Zealand now have three full days to settle in Antigua, study conditions and, crucially, let Henry reacquaint himself with a proper bed. “I’ll just get ready for what’s to come,” he said, already looking ahead. “We’ve given ourselves a chance – that’s all you can ask.”
By Sunday, the Black Caps will be hunting a maiden men’s T20 crown. Henry will have a new medal to chase, and a new fan waiting at home to see it.
