Black Caps cricketer Blair Tickner has fought back tears describing the devastation caused by Cyclone Gabrielle in his home region.
Photo: Supplied
The 29-year-old fast bowler made his test debut in New Zealand's convincing loss to England in Mt Maunganui last week.
But not only were his thoughts sometimes elsewhere, the glow of a special career milestone didn't last for long as he and Black Caps team-mate Will Young returned to the hard hit Hawke's Bay region after the match.
Speaking at the Basin Reserve ahead of the start of the second test in Wellington on Friday, an emotional Tickner admitted it was hard to talk about the state the cyclone had left the area in.
"My father's house has been fully destroyed. It was good to get back, help them out," he said.
"It's just hard times for the whole region so helping out neighbours and whoever we could. It's been tough, it's really tough at the moment, but Hawke's Bay is staying strong."
Photo: Supplied
Tickner and Young spent two days alongside team-mates from their provincial team Central Districts helping out.
That included jumping on forklifts and tractors from Tickner's father John's hire company.
"I actually got my old man's loader stuck, so I hope he doesn't watch this," he said.
"It's about a metre in mud at the moment. I probably shouldn't have driven around the neighbours' yard. They said it wasn't that deep and I got it stuck.
"So yeah, sorry about that, dad."
The impacts of the cyclone and all that comes with a test debut had made for a big couple of weeks for Tickner.
The first match against England was also a tough encounter for the Black Caps, who were often on the back foot and eventually lost by 267 runs.
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However, Tickner said it wasn't difficult to put the challenges he had faced on the field into perspective.
"It doesn't feel hard when you [go home and] see dead stock on the side of the road, grown men crying about their homes and their whole life has been flipped upside down.
"Cricket, to me, is my life but it's nothing compared to what people are going through at the moment."
Tickner hopes to head home again to help after the second test, while New Zealand Cricket have also confirmed a significant fundraising effort for those impacted by the cyclone.
The Black Caps ODI against Sri Lanka in Auckland on March 25 will be a fundraising game.
NZC's major sponsor ANZ have already pledged $1 million, while all ticket proceeds will go towards the cause and those at Eden Park will be able to make additonal donations.
- RNZ