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Female commentators have nuanced eye for the game as Martin and Mackay enliven show

White Ferns wicketkeeper never wanted to be a ‘token’ female with a microphone. Far from it, writes Zoe¨ George, as she makes a big impact in a traditionally male domain.

KATEY Martin’s introduction to broadcasting was similar to so many of us. As a child she would commandeer the family’s cassette deck and pretend she was a DJ, recording her own music radio shows.

She also grew up listening to commentary. She’d spend rugby seasons in the commentary box observing dad Steve as he called games.

Now she’s in the Spark cricket commentary box, offering thought-provoking and insightful observations for the domestic and international cricket seasons. She knows the game well, having played international cricket for the White Ferns since 2003, and offers, at times, comedic moments, asking questions like ‘‘why does Ross Taylor wear his hat on an angle?’’. That question is yet to be answered.

Her most recent gig was the

Black Caps test victory against Bangladesh in Christchurch, sitting alongside former Black Caps captains Brendon McCullum – who she grew up playing cricket with in Dunedin – and Stephen Fleming.

‘‘It’s been a really welcoming environment. Having a female on gives a different voice and a different aspect that maybe the coverage hasn’t had for a few years. They’ve been super supportive,’’ she said.

‘‘It’s about bringing a different angle. When I’m sitting in the commentary box, I’m talking about what I would like to hear as a person as home.’’

For her, it’s not necessarily about the technical side of the game – although she knows it well – it’s about humanising the players, and commentators. It’s about making them relatable. After all, players are humans first and cricketers second, she

said.

‘‘You don’t often get that. It’s about giving people an insight into the players rather than just what they are doing right or wrong as a cricketer. As a cricketer we all make mistakes.’’

Martin has 186 White Ferns’ appearances to her name, across an 18-year span. Her appearance in the box this summer, sitting alongside Ferns team-mate Frankie Mackay, also marked a historic moment in New Zealand

test cricket: two women calling the game together for the first time.

After the duo left the box, they were congratulated for making history.

‘‘[It] just seemed normal to us because we do so much commentary together that we didn’t think twice about the meaning of us commentating together. For me and Frankie, it’s about normalising having females in there,’’ she said.

‘‘I’ve always said I don’t want to do commentary if I’m the ‘token’ female.

‘‘I’ve wanted to do something if people felt I was good enough to do it. It’s a big thing for Spark to say ‘we want to invest in women. We want them in the coverage’. It’s a good thing for the game. It brings a different flavour.

‘‘Remember, men aren’t all the audience. There’s a lot of mothers, sisters and daughters

that also watch cricket. If we’re up there doing a good job and doing the game justice, then [females] see there is an opportunity for this as a career.’’

But with breaking boundaries often comes ‘‘feedback’’ on social media, questioning why she’s commentating test cricket when she’s never played the longest format. But she has, in 2003 against India in one of the last test matches played by women. She also grew up watching ‘‘so many amazing’’ men’s test matches.

She’s learnt not to read the social media feedback and would rather turn to those sitting around her in the box for tips. Her dad and mum Wendy are always quick to offer advice too.

‘‘Dad’s been great. He gives me good feedback and talk about finding that balance between personality and analytics. When mum rings up it’s [to comment] on what I’m wearing,’’ she laughed.

‘‘[But] the type of character I am . . . people will either love you or hate you. For me, it’s about being true to who I am as a person and if people like that, then great, and if they don’t, that’s the way it goes.’’

Away from the commentary box she’s got her eye on the Super Smash for the Sparks, then the Cricket World Cup starting in March.

The last 12 months has been tough for the 36-year-old, after receiving a concussion when a ball bounced up and hit her helmet while keeping early last year. Then a few more. It knocked her confidence slightly, but she’s fighting fit now, ready for the World Cup on home soil.

‘‘We have every chance to win it, but Australia is a really strong team, and England,’’ she said.

‘‘We’ve got a lot more depth than what we had [previously]. When everything clicks with our team, we are hard to beat.’’

SPORT

en-nz

2022-01-16T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-01-16T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://fairfaxmedia.pressreader.com/article/282037625527722

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