Well, hi everyone, & welcome to our readers here in New Zealand, & around the world, I'm Whetu Ngapo & you're tuning in to my KiwiAvenger blog here on blogger, but first in the cricket in New Zealand that the Black Caps (Who had to declare not once, but twice in the 1st & 2nd innings) secure an unlikely win by 323 runs over the West Indies at Bay Oval in Tauranga to take out the test series 2 - 0 thanks to a ton in both innings from New Zealand captain Tom Latham, & a double century by none other than Devon Conway (Who got a ton in the 2nd innings as he was awarded standout player of the match honours) during the first innings, then a fifer from Jacob Duffy (Who was the standout player of the series as the top wicket taker as he gets past Sir Richard Hadlee way back in 1985 as the most wickets taken in all formats by a New Zealand bowler) in the 2nd innings to add to his 4 wickets in the 1st innings as we put them into a strong position to win the 3rd test comprehensively, in which we ended 2025 on a perfect note.
And secondly that I had a cracker of a Christmas there with the whole family at Dad's place where we opened the presents (Including F1: the Movie starring Brad Pitt that I haven't still seen, & the Star Wars Battlefront II PlayStation 2 game was the best Christmas present I've ever had until it turned out to be a disaster when there was a disk read error, meaning that it did not work due to the scratches that the disk has had (Aunty Tan brought the one that was just available in Canada as she said to me) & had our traditional Christmas dinner, but the Northland one in 2023 with the late Carole (Who had her last Christmas here in New Zealand the year before where she was in Dubai in the UAE to be by her bro Zaki's side, & the year after her last Christmas here in Whanganui in 2022), Pops, Kathryn & Ken was the one that I overly impressed the most in all of the Christmases that I have ever experienced.
And thirdly in the rugby that there are 5 potential debutants for the All Blacks could even feature this year such as Corey Kellow, Siale Lauaki, Kini Naholo, Dylan Pledger & Tyrone Thompson even though with our next test scheduled in July against France in the inaugural game of the World Rugby Nations Championship (In that is similar to cricket's Champions Trophy, as well as league's Pacific Rugby League Championships, & football/soccer's Finalissima) on home soil at the new 30,000 seat One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch (Our first test in that city since 2022 where New Zealand had tasted defeat against Argentina during the Rugby Championship, but France haven't played at that venue since 2013 in which the All Blacks had a comprehensive 30 - 0 drubbing over the French), followed by Ireland at the 50,000 seat Eden Park in Auckland (In which Ireland haven't played at that venue since 2022 before claiming an unlikely test series win after being 1 - 0 down, but the AB's are seeking to extend that unbeaten record to 53 in which the ground is most favourable for the home team in tests), & Italy at the 34,500 Sky Stadium in Wellington (While both Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin & FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton are both forced to sit that one out of hosting a home All Blacks test) also both at home before embarking a 4 match test series (Both in Joburg, & one each in also both Cape Town & at a neutral venue) against South Africa in rugby's greatest rivalry, & after that it's Australia (In which we play both test matches in a home and away series against them, but we're not playing Argentina & the reason why? Is that the last time we have not met them was in 2010), then England away in a chance to avenge the demons from last year as well as Scotland & Wales before the finals takes place at Allianz Stadium Twickenham in London in November 2026.
And finally that I have revealed my fave F1 constructor that I'm supporting, & it's McLaren (I should've gone for RB Racing Bulls because of the constructor that our own Kiwi Liam Lawson who drives for them), but the reason why? Is that it's British, but founded by a late New Zealander named Bruce McLaren who was once part of the golden generation of racing car drivers here in New Zealand during the 1960's along with the late Le Mans winning driver of Chris Amon, & the former world champion from 1967 of the late Denny Hulme (Well, I have mentioned that story before in my blogs like twice like in both 2022 & also the year before, but there has been an update as legendary New Zealand IndyCar driver Scott Dixon (Who has been champion 6 times in IndyCar (2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 & 2020), as well as he first came to the US way back in 1999 to compete in Indy Lights, a year before becoming champion back in 2000, then he became rookie of the year a year later also back in 2001 (Same year that he won the race at age 20 in Nazareth, Pennsylvania (The Andretti family's home track), & is 2nd on the all-time American Open Wheel racing list behind the great AJ Foyt, with 59 (8 behind him), has been given a knighthood for his services to motor racing as part of the New Year's honours list in our country of New Zealand), but my favourite F1 track would have to be Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Which is near Mont-Saint Hilaire where Aunty Tan & Rejean currently live) since it appeared on the Gran Turismo 7 Spec III update along with the Yas Marina Circuit located in Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates, because it used to be the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit at Albert Park in Melbourne, Australia as Aunty Tan told me last year during our conversation at Thai Villa on New Year's Eve.
So that is my 667th blog of the year 2026 (MMXXVI) & my 19th of this year, viva Ukraine.
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