Postcards from Abroad: Niven Dovey & Seb Heath Making Waves Overseas

Mount Maunganui Cricket Club has a proud history of players taking their talents overseas during the New Zealand winter, and this year two of our Premier lads — Premier Captain Niven Dovey and rising star Seb Heath — have been doing just that.

From Darwin, Australia, to Copenhagen, Denmark, both players have been learning, growing, and testing themselves in different conditions. We caught up with the boys to hear about their overseas adventures, what they’ve learned, and how they’re preparing to bring that experience back home for a big season at Blake Park.

Niven Dovey — Flying High in Darwin with Nightcliff Cricket Club

After another strong summer for the Mount — 690 runs at an average of 30, with a high score of 95* — Niven packed his bags and headed to Darwin, signing on with Nightcliff Cricket Club in the Northern Territory competition.

Q: What inspired you to head over to Darwin and join Nightcliff Cricket Club?
"After a busy summer back home and a couple of solid seasons under my belt, I wanted to get away over winter to keep developing my game in different conditions. Darwin was a great fit, with quality cricket and a short but intense season. I reached out to a couple of clubs and Nightcliff seemed like the right environment for me to grow as a player."

Q: How would you sum up your experience playing in Darwin so far, both on and off the field?
"On the field, it’s been a big adjustment learning to play on slower wickets in the heat and humidity, but I’ve loved it. The competition is strong, and you get tested every week. Off the field, the boys have been awesome. The club culture is unreal — they’ve made me feel right at home."

Q: What’s been a highlight moment for you during the season?
"Scoring my first hundred over here was pretty special, and getting a five-wicket bag was right up there too. Playing against someone like Jake Weatherald, who’s played BBL, was a good challenge and a great learning experience."

Q: Looking ahead to the Mount season, what are you hoping to bring back from your time in Darwin?
"Confidence, really. Playing week in, week out in tough conditions teaches you to adapt quickly. I’m excited to bring that experience back home and lead the boys into what’s shaping up to be a big summer for us."

For the record, Niven’s Darwin season was a beauty: 471 runs at 24.79 with a high score of 122, 16 wickets at a sharp 15.75, and 10 catches. With that kind of form, our skipper is primed for another big year at Blake.

Seb Heath — Danish Adventures and International Cricket

For young gun Seb Heath, the Northern summer has been an unforgettable one. He headed to Denmark to play for Glostrup CC in the Elite Division and also earned a call-up to train- and even play- with the Danish national side.

Back home last summer, Seb was already proving to be one of the club’s most reliable performers, scoring 431 runs in 18 innings, and delivering when it mattered most: 84 in the Baywide Final, 61 in the Williams Cup Semi, and 58 in the Williams Cup Final.

Q: What inspired you to head over to Copenhagen and join Glostrup CC after our season finished?
"I was pretty keen to get overseas for the winter and play a season in Europe and the opportunity to come to Denmark kind of just fell into place at the right time after I reached out to them at the end of last year. Having Danish citizenship through my Mum, it was a no brainer really. I knew that being in a set up with a national team would be hugely beneficial for my cricket. I got set up straight away with Glostrup and got stuck into it pretty much right off the plane."

Q: How would you sum up your experience playing in Denmark so far, both on and off the field?
"On the field, playing the season in Denmark has been about adapting to new challenges. First off, we play on artificial pitches but they’re not concrete so it’s not like every pitch is just a road, each pitch behaves slightly different. Unlike club cricket in the bay, you can’t rely on pace on the ball or a quick outfield so risk management and scoring becomes quite different. We’ve played a fair bit of t20 cricket so I took the opportunity early on in the season to take quite an aggressive approach to batting at the top of the order. I’ll take away some important learnings but I am pretty excited to get back to Blake 2.

Off the field, things have been different from what we’re used to in NZ but I’ve really enjoyed my time. I’ve met a whole new community of cricketers and they made me feel very welcome from the start. As a whole, people struggle to stick around after the game for a beer or soda. It isn’t really part of the culture which is unfortunate. Myself and a few of the guys who either enjoy a beer or have played overseas try to make an effort to stay around after games but it’s pretty limited. Definitely makes me appreciate the culture we have at MMCC."

Q: What were the highlights of Glostrup’s season, especially making the T20 semis?
"The highlight of our season was our t20 campaign, getting through the group to make it to the semis after having lost every t20 last season. We chased 160 and 175 against Svanholm, the defending champions who would go on to win the title again. We also chased 110 in 5.2 overs to boost our net run rate in the final round and book our ticket to the semi. Wasn’t our year in the 50 over comp but we’re a club that’s on the way up and next season promises to be even better for Glostrup."

Q: What has it been like training with the Danish national team and representing them against countries like Finland and Spain?
"Being involved with the national team has been a great experience. We have two top coaches, Keith who played test cricket for Zimbabwe, and Freddy who has played around the world and played for Denmark for years. Working with these guys has been immense in my development over the season and they’ve created a great team environment with some really talented players. It was awesome to have Spain and Finland come over to play some friendlies. While they’re not as strong as some of the other European nations it was still pretty cool to be playing international cricket."

Q: Tell us about the ICC Challenge League A tournament in Jersey — what’s it like competing on the world stage?
"Playing in the challenge league was an unbelievable experience and I hope to have the opportunity to do it again in the coming years. While the full-member nations aren’t involved, there is still a top level of organisation and professionalism that goes into the tournament and it’s really impressive. The tournament was full of great players, a lot of guys who are currently playing first class, and all the teams have coaches who have played around the world. A lot of the minor associate nations are growing fast and each game is hugely competitive because a win could mean taking a step towards gaining ODI status or even making the World Cup."

Q: What’s been the biggest challenge or learning moment during your time overseas?
"The biggest learning for me about being overseas, which has actually turned out to be a huge blessing, is being on my own in 90% of what I’m doing. All of my training and fitness has had to be self driven and self motivated because there’s nobody here to hold me accountable. I’ve also naturally spent a lot of time on my own week to week. I’ve been living with my cousins but during the day they’re at school or work and I’m coming home after dinner most nights from trainings or games. I also went solo travelling in the summer break which was a whole different period of learning in itself. But I know it’s been really good for me, learning how to enjoy my own company and be independent. I’ve also learnt a lot about discipline and putting in the work when nobody is watching so it’s been a very positive experience for me overall."

Q: What’s life like in Copenhagen outside of cricket? Any favourite places, foods, or travel stories?
"I really enjoy the pace of life and the vibe in Copenhagen in the summer. After suffering in cold and darkness for 6 months, the Danes become excited about life again and the whole city flows vibrantly through the summer months. My favourite things to do in the city are swim in the harbour (I tried to teach some of my Danish friends how to pop a manu with no success) and get snacks from the bakery. The best things about Danish food are the fresh berries and the cakes from the bakery, especially the cinnamon snails which they make and sell for cheap every Wednesday."

Q: How has this experience helped you grow as a player and as a person?
"This experience has been invaluable for my development in cricket and also as a person. Adapting to new environments and challenges has enabled me to learn a lot more about myself and reevaluate how I want to live my life when I get back to NZ. I thought playing back to back seasons would wear me out but honestly I couldn’t be hungrier to start the season at home and win some games for the Mount. I’m looking forward to taking everything I’ve worked on and learnt while being here and hopefully converting it into some success this season, I can’t wait!"

With both players returning soon, there’s a real sense of excitement around the club. The experience, confidence, and lessons Niven and Seb have picked up overseas will no doubt add even more firepower to our Premier squad this summer.

Here’s to a big season back home, lads!