Captain Grumpy (2) ?

By The Spotter

Jeez, Kane. We love you mate, but heck, it’s alright to let a small semblance of a smile flicker across that fraught dial of yours every now and again, you know.

There’s a bit of pub talk going around that you are taking our tried and true Kiwi modesty ‘aw shucks’ persona even further down the gloom scale with those austere looks of yours.  Crikey, even after you had reduced the English to that pinch us, it’s all a dream total of 58 on Thursday afternoon, you still couldn’t really bring yourself to smile with just a bit of satisfaction during the live TV interview afterwards.

And when you got the run to achieve the mark for most test centuries for New Zealand, you looked about as thrilled as someone forced to welcome loathsome, uninvited guests on their day off.  It’s quite likely though you were being deferential to the memory of Martin Crowe or was it a case of job not yet properly done?  Then on the walk/trudge back to the hutch after being dismissed for 102 on Friday, your mood looked like it was going to match the weather.  At least you did look like you savoured Thursday’s incredible gully catch.  That really was quite something.

It is almost certainly just your respectful way of going about things, but promise we’ll never hold it against you if you dare to smile now and again. Or is being the captain such a constant weight that enjoying brilliant moments with a bit of a laugh is out of the question? Hope not.

talltree@xtra.co.nz   (Paul)