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

Sideline Sid has had few more enjoyable days following sport than sitting on the bank at the Bay Oval on Tuesday, watching the Black Caps take on South Africa, in the first New Zealand ODI to be played in the Western Bay.

In less than a decade, an area of wasteland at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui has been transformed into the country's newest international cricket ground.

Sonny Shaw at the Bay Oval this week. Photo: Annette Johnston.

While excavations for the 'village green” type venue started in 2005, the transformation in the last twelve months has resulted in a top quality pavilion, international sight screens and stand-alone commentary and press boxes that sit majestically overlooking the park.

During the day I took the opportunity to catch up with arguably one of New Zealand's greatest sports fans.

While Sonny Shaw is well known by the country's myriad of cricket fans for his flag-waving support at every Black Caps match in New Zealand and overseas, cricket plays just a small part in his of his overseas trips.

He told Sideline Sid that the Black Caps series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates will be his 100th international tour.

People often wonder how the fanatical sports nut can follow Kiwi teams and individuals all over the world. The reality is that the long-time accountant works frenetically for five months of the year to take the rest of the time-off to chase kiwi success all over the globe.

His first cricket test was at Eden Park in 1969, during the West Indies tour of the country. After that he was hooked for life. Sonny told me he has been to over 300 ODIs, 40-odd T20 matches and a remarkable 142 test matches all over the globe.

Over the years he has had his passport stamped in 95 countries in pursuit of his dream. While he said that in earlier days it was all about the sport, today he also plays the tourist and has visited many of the wonders of the world.

At the cricket, he always tries to position himself around the third man (fielding) spot as it gives him the best view of the action - although over the years he has occasionally fallen foul of television directors who don't want him in their shots.

Sonny was full of praise for the Bay Oval, saying that he doesn't like the concrete jungles of the major world cricket stadiums, instead preferring to watch top level cricket in intimate surroundings such as the Blake Park Oval.

Venues with grassy banks such as the Bay Oval and the likes of Pukekura Park in New Plymouth and Saxton Oval in Nelson earn his tick of approval.

In the last 12 months Sonny's international trips to follow Kiwi teams have included the Americas Cup, Rowing World Championships, Honk Kong Rugby Sevens, Basketball World Championships and the Commonwealth Games.

And 2015 is penciled in to be just as busy, kicking off with the Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, with all the Black Caps games firmly on his agenda. Other major sports appointments next year include the Rugby World Cup, Softball World Championships and the Netball and Rowing World Championships.