Mayor delivers Warner a sledge

Gary Kircher
Gary Kircher
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher has come off the long run and delivered a bruising bumper to Australian cricketer David Warner.

Waitaki’s mayor has gone into bat for the district after Warner called Oamaru a "ghost town".

Warner drew the ire of the mayor after comments the cricketer made about the town at a press conference in Wellington on Monday.

Warner played in Oamaru in December, 2010 for Northern Districts in a T20 match.

When asked about his various trips to New Zealand, Warner singled out Oamaru.

"There was just no-one there.

"I think it was a Saturday or something."

At that time in 2010, Whitestone Contracting Stadium was used for both rugby and cricket, a concept that perplexed Warner.

"We legitimately played on a football field. It was quite crazy coming from Australia and we're playing on a rugby league field and I'm thinking ‘what's going on here?"’

David Warner
David Warner
He did add he "really enjoyed it".

Northern Districts won the match but Warner only managed to score four before nicking off.

Mr Kircher poked fun in reply yesterday, highlighting the fact Warner spent the majority of the match back in the sheds.

"I can’t help but feel Mr Warner may have had his experience in Oamaru dampened by being caught behind after only six balls."

A lot had changed since Warner visited and the town had become "a draw for New Zealanders looking to escape the hurly-burly of city life".

Things had also changed for Warner, whose one-year suspension in 2018 was something Mr Kircher seemed eager to dig at.

"We’ve even got the best Mitre 10 Mega in the entire country, with a wide range of sandpaper and other abrasive products — something Mr Warner is more than familiar with.”

Despite the banter, Mr Kircher invited Warner to return to the town.

"We’d be more than happy to show him around Oamaru — once the Black Caps are finished with him."

nic.duff@odt.co.nz