How many times over the years have we seen a Kiwi involved in an event somewhere overseas that grabs the International headlines.

Last Saturday morning, the overseas sports headlines screamed of one the biggest ever cricket upsets, at the Twenty 20 World Cup being played in England. In a David and Goliath contest of mammoth proportions - the script said that hosts England would canter to victory over the Netherlands, before beginning their campaign proper to win the Twenty 20 World Cup.

Obviously the Dutch team didn't read the script, as they made the side from the home of cricket look second rate, as they grabbed what had seen as an improbable victory. The team that is made up of a mainly cricket nomads, set the Twenty 20 World Cup alight on the opening day

In what has become an extremely small world there was a Western Bay connection with the Dutch team success. Te Puke club player (and coach) Ben Williams has been assisting with specialist coaching duties with the Dutch National side.

Last season Ben secured a contract as a player/coach with the VOC Club, after previously playing in England during the New Zealand winter. Such was the impact that Williams made in his first season that he returned to this country with a long-term contract in his pocket.

After first arriving in the Bay of Plenty to attend the Brendan Bracewell Cricket Academy, he has made the Western Bay his home. Several years ago Ben decided that cricket would become his vocation and set up Ben Williams Cricket Coaching.

The move to coaching instilled a new ethos in Williams approach to the game, with last season producing some outstanding performances. In the Baywide Premier championship he smashed a century and grabbed six wickets in an innings twice.

This was just the entrée to his performances for the Bay of Plenty representative team that annexed the Fergus Hickey Rosebowl, which is the symbol of Northern Districts representative cricket

At season end Williams had brought up his 40th game in Bay colours and set a unique record. Ben wrote his name into BOP Cricket history, becoming the first Bay player to post a century and take six wickets in an innings, against Poverty Bay.

Two other Western Bay players who travelled with Ben to the VOS Club for this season, are certain to have been cheering for the team from Holland with all their might.

Ben's younger brother Russell and Brian Jurisich, are gaining the rich reward of enjoying another culture and language, while experiencing another playing the game at another level from home.

On the local rugby scene the comeback of the season has come from Mount Maunganui - who now looks to be genuine contenders in the Baywide Premier championship.

After finishing second last in the opening Western Bay competition with a solitary win, the Mount have regained the form that took them to a Baywide crown in 2005. One of the solid performers all season has been kicking machine Sam Jurisich who shows the same promise that brother Brian produces on the cricket field.