Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The Black Caps taking on the All Blacks in game of Twenty 20 cricket early next year, will produce a mouth-watering opportunity to see a galaxy of former stars of the two codes in action.

Set for January 25 at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, the festival game won't be as one sided as could be expected.

A great number of All Blacks excelled at cricket before they were forced to make the decision on what path to take on their sporting journey.

Over the years, just seven sportsmen have represented New Zealand in both rugby and cricket.

The most recent being Brian McKecknie, who faced Trevor Chappell in the last ball of the infamous underarm incident across the ditch and Jeff Wilson who was a super star in both codes.

Eric Tindall, who earned All Black and New Zealand Cricket honors, went on to earn recognition as both an international rugby referee and a cricket umpire.

Tindall played for the All Blacks on 16 occasions including one test and kept wickets for the New Zealand Cricket team in five test matches between 1937 and 1947.

Bay of Plenty has also had select group who would go on to be selected for the All Blacks after representing their province at cricket.

All Black legend Grant Fox played nine games for the Bay of Plenty Senior Men's representative cricket team. Fox made his Bay of Plenty cricket debut against Northland in Whangarei in February 1982.

Foxy was in some illustrious company in his time in the Bay cricket sides in his two seasons in the Bay of Plenty Cricket uniform. Lance Cairns, Geoffrey Howarth, the late Andy Roberts and Chris Kuggeleijn were all team-mates of the All Black super-star.

While Foxy was a genius kicking the ball, he was no slouch with the bat either as one score in the forties and a top score of 50 not out shows in the Bay of Plenty Cricket records.

An All Black star in the 1960's in Blair Furlong, played in the Bay of Plenty Cricket uniform while living in Taupo which was then part of Bay of Plenty Cricket, with Wayne Graham playing a solitary Bay game in the mid 1970's.

While the All Blacks verses Black Caps encounter in Christchurch is sure to have plenty of laughs and hilarity, there is sure to be a steely determination in both teams that take to the park in the Garden City.

However, for this cricket tragic nothing will beat the Blacks Caps verses India (x 2) at the Bay Oval next January.

India are certain to bring their full array of stars to the Western Bay of Plenty cricket venue, where nonstop action should take place between two of the best ODI sides in the world.