Spinning off in a new direction: Tendai retires on a high

North Shore spin bowler Tendai Chitongo has won the Auckland Club Cricketer of the Year title for the second time – in a star turn, which helped his premier side win the Auckland twoday championship for the first time in 35 years.

Chitongo, who is also North Shore club manager, picked up four five-wicket bags and 41 wickets over the season.

He also won club cricketer of the year in 2018-19 – the season North Shore won promotion to the first division after seven years in the second division.

Chitongo arrived at the club in 2017 as an overseas professional. He has been among the top three Auckland club wicket-takers every season since.

He became Shore’s cricket development officer in 2019, a role which evolved into the club manager position.

Receiving the Auckland club cricketer award was a special moment, said Chitongo. All the more so because his North Shore teammates were all there too, to formally receive the Hedley Howarth two-day trophy at the Auckland Cricket Awards.

“Everyone was pretty excited,” he said.

For Chitongo, 33, it was possibly more emotional than for the rest of his team, as he has decided to finish his cricket career. He has retired from playing and finishes the North Shore Cricket Club manager’s job at the end of the month.

“I got my [New Zealand] residency in February and decided it was time to move into other areas,” said Chitongo, who plans to get a job in management.

“If I was Christian Ronaldo, earning £250,000 a week, I would probably have the motivation to keep playing. But I didn’t want to carry on until I was injured or broken,” said Chitongo, who took up cricket aged 10 in Zimbabwe and represented the country in various age-group sides.

While giving up his full-time involvement in cricket, Chitongo will still offer some oneon-one coaching and mentoring to up-andcoming players.

And he won’t be leaving Devonport any time soon.

“Its a great place to live,” he said.