The Waihi first XI were given the perfect shot in the arm yesterday, as they prepared for their assault on the Milo Cup national cricket finals.
Former New Zealand coach David Trist took the team through a 90-minute training session, where the former Canterbury fast bowler looked to give the team the edge to lift the cup, when the finals begin next month.
Waihi coach Hamish Brown said Trist took the team through some basic mental techniques, before a net session saw him give tips to both the batsmen and bowlers.
“He was very open and forthcoming with his ideas and giving out the techniques that he had learned,” said Brown.
“He (Trist) pulled a few of the boys aside and had a chat to them individually as well, which was great.”
Brown described it as a great way to motivate his players before they head to Palmerston North for the finals, which will see them play the best teams from both the North and South Island.
“It was a real shot in the arm for the boys,” he said.
“They’re all really keen to learn.
Brown said Trist, who was the coach of the Black Caps from 1999 to 2001, worked hard on the team’s mental application.
“He showed them how to relax in between balls,” he said.
“He spoke about how critical moments in a game can lead to you winning a game.”
Brown said the session was also beneficial for him personally as a coach.
“It was great, just to stand next to him, and listen to the way he spoke, and to realise certain things he was saying were things you were already sort of thinking.”
Brown said that, despite the long wait for the finals to begin, he expected competition cricket tomorrow, and several inter-school fixtures in the lead-up to the matches, would keep his team in good form.