Melbourne // Matt Henry was celebrating a cousin’s engagement when he was summoned to play at the World Cup and the New Zealand fast bowler said he is still pinching himself.
Henry, 23, was called into the squad when Adam Milne was forced to withdraw with a heel injury and he was pitched straight into Tuesday’s dramatic semi-final win over South Africa.
“It’s pretty hard to believe,” said Henry as he prepared to play in front of 90,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Sunday’s final. “You’ve got to pinch yourself.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to have.
“It’s unfortunate for Adam. It’s not the situation you want to be in, but it’s the nature of the beast.”
Henry, who had been playing first-class cricket with Canterbury in front of a handful of fans last week, vowed not to be overawed by the challenge in Sunday’s final where the Black Caps will face co-hosts Australia.
“To go from a Plunkett Shield game with not too many people being about, to everyone screaming your name at Eden Park (the Auckland venue for Tuesday’s semi-final) was a bit of a contrast,” said Henry, who has never played at the MCG.
“It felt like 90,000 at Eden Park. We’ve got plenty of Kiwis here, I’m sure it won’t be an issue.”
Henry said he had not planned to watch yesterday’s semi-final and preferred instead to tour Melbourne’s retail precinct with his girlfriend.
“I’ve got a bit of shopping to do,” he said. “We’ll all be doing our things, but we’ll sit down together at one point.”
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