Erin retired from all cricket at the end of the 2018-19 season: club, rep, international.

She’s too young to retire; right? She’s at that stage when cricketers, and batsman-leg-spinner in particular, have reached a cricketing maturity. Time to cash in after all that hard work; right?

Erin’s stats are impressive.

She entered representative cricket for the Magicians in 2006-07 and retired on her own terms, at her peak, in 2018-19.

She played 145 matches at first class and A-list one-day matches, and 118 matches of Twenty20; include in this stat was 102 matches for the Magicians.

She played in 65 Internationals for the White Ferns (34 at the One-day format and 31 at Twenty20).

The early years

Erin was a girl from Westport born into a sporting family with two older cricketing brothers and a passionate sporting dad. Like many others, back yard cricket formed her foundation and attitude that was to serve her so well during her sporting career. This was a tough learning school for, play a bad shot, she would spend so time inside the house to contemplate her error! She graduated from fielding and wicket-keeping for her brothers to rivalling them in bowling and time spent at the crease.

Hockey too featured in her sporting interests with several years of representative level in both codes.

After five years at Buller High School, Dad and Erin would undertake the four-hour trek to Christchurch every Friday in order to pursue her sporting dream. She followed brothers Scott and Dean to the St Albans Club which was all-powerful at that time. After two years at that club, sometimes in Division 1, she moved to the Old Boys Collegians Club in 2008 where she would remain through to her retirement. Through this period, Erin would develop into one of New Zealand’s finest ever leg spin bowlers. She would also prove that she had batting skills to perform much higher up the order and this was borne out with her outstanding efforts for the Magicians in her final season when batting at first drop.

The playing years

Cricket is a stats-based game. They tell you plenty; they tell you little.

Erin’s International career was from 2010 to 2017.

Her International One-day matches saw her take 43 wickets with an economy rate of 4.01 (4-16 being her best return). Her International Twenty20 matches yielded 33 wickets at an economy rate of 5.41.

In her 145 first class and A-list matches (162 wickets) her economy rate was 3.82 and her 118 Twenty20 matches (119 wickets) produced an economy rate of 4.93.

Bear in mind that nowadays, bowling at the elite level is all about economy, these figures would stand alongside any bowler of either gender in world cricket. Add in the fact that her captain might open bowl with her or close the innings with her, so adaptable was she.

Remarkable!

Her success took Erin to the Twenty20 World Cups in 2010 and 2014-15 and a One-day World Cup in 2017.

When talking with Erin, the personality of the cricketer, and the person, unfold before you: steely, determined, focussed, driven, knowledgeable. The perceived serious side is balanced with a pleasant charm and understanding of what is required to succeed both as an individual and within the team environment.

Watching Erin bat over recent months, we see a batsman of great maturity capable of playing to the occasion with attractive and thoughtful stroke play all around the wicket. She is batting at no. 3; she is the hinge of the team’s innings. Why has she not been batting higher in season’s gone? As mentioned at the start of this article, her cricketing maturity is blossoming.

How did Erin get to enjoy such success?

Her father, such a passionate cricketer, was a major influence from within while Buller stalwart, Kevin Scanlon, recognised her latent talent and encouraged her to take her talent to the city.

With this move, she came under the influence of three fine coaches who all shaped Erin’s game. That outstanding cricketer in his own right, and World Cup-winning coach, Mike Shrimpton had a massive influence. He mentored Erin to broaden her awareness in the art of leg-spin bowling and shaped her cricket thinking as she absorbed his vast knowledge. Gary Stead was to follow, as her Magicians and White Ferns coach, and he challenged her bowling strategies in what she was trying to achieve. Both coaches instilled that necessary confidence and patience so needed by a leg-spin bowler. The third significant influence was Steve Cunis who provided that no-nonsense direction that suited Erin’s personality. Erin’s personal traits added to her natural skill, a love of the game, and an ethic of hard work; with her latent batting maturity, New Zealand Cricket now had the complete package.

The future

Recent seasons have seen a growing list of niggling injuries. As well, in 2015 Erin made a career choice to terminate her contract with New Zealand Cricket and pursue a career in the New Zealand Police Force. She loves her work; initially on the front line and now with Youth crime. Injuries and career have combined to blunt the urge to continue with cricket.

She loves playing for the Magicians and she has become only the third player, along with Haidee Tiffen and Amy Satterthwaite, to play 100 matches for them (102 matches).

Erin retires at the top of her game and under her own conditions.

After an outstanding cricketing career, Christchurch cricket hopes that Erin rests and returns to impart her knowledge to the next generation of Magicians.

Article added: Wednesday 22 May 2019