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

Before the demise of sport coverage in Bay of Plenty daily newspapers and radio coverage, the selection of a Western Bay of Plenty young man making his international cricket debut would have made local headlines far and wide.

Timothy James Gerard Pringle, 19, who is currently playing cricket in Holland, made is ODI debut for the Netherlands in the second one-day international against England on June 19.

Pringle, who was in the wider Dutch international squad, was called up to make his international entrance after England thrashed the Netherlands by 234 runs in the opening game of the series.

The Western Bay of Plenty cricketer, who was born in The Hague, took advantage of the ICC criteria, which allows players who qualify for emerging nations, to play for their country of residence at a later date without a stand down period.

Pringle retained his place in the Dutch side in the third game of the series, getting on the runs and wickets international ledger, with one wicket in his first appearance and six runs in his second match.

He became the youngest player to represent the Bay of Plenty, at 15 years 92 days, surpassing Black Cap master blaster Kane Williamson by 19 days, when he took to Cobham Oval against Northland in November 2018.

Since his debut, Tim's cricket future has shone like a brilliant light, with his Bay of Plenty performances leading on to further top-class performances.

As of the end of March 2022, Tim Pringle had played 30 matches in the blue and gold strip, with 206 runs and a remarkable 67 wickets.

Originally a batsman who could bowl, he reinvented himself from pace bowling to spin to conserve energy, with outstanding success.

Last seasons Bay of Plenty match-up with Waikato Valley, saw the young man grab just the 16th ten wickets (or more) in a match, in ninety years of Bay of Plenty Cricket history.

His 8/71 and 4/48, was the second equal best wickets in a match, with his eight wickets for 71 runs ranking in sixth place on the all-time list.

Following selection for New Zealand Under 19, Pringle continued his cricket journey with game-time for New Zealand A against Pakistan, and for a New Zealand XI against Bangladesh and Netherlands last season.

There was a further Western Bay of Plenty connection with the Dutch side verses England, with two players who played club cricket in the Bay of Plenty in their teenage years.

Paul van Meekeren played for Te Puke in Baywide competition in 2011/12, while Vivian Kingma turned out for Otumoetai Cadets the following season.

The good news continued for Pringle in recent days, with the announcement that he has been awarded a Northern Districts Cricket professional contract for the 2022/23 season.

He will join fellow Western Bay of Plenty cricketers Joe Carter, Brett Hampton and Bharat Popli in playing for the Northern Brave in the new season.

With the Dutch ODI experience under his belt, it will be interesting to follow the progress of Tim Pringle when he returns home, with likely long-term aspirations of joining Kane Williamson and Trent Boult as Bay of Plenty Black Caps.