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If fortune favours the Brave, the Blackcaps won’t mind having the Tigers by the tail.
Big hitting Northern Brave batsman Katene Clarke is set to join the national side in Bangladesh soon.
The only Pukekohe prodigy to play for the Blackcaps since Simon Doull (we think!), Clarke was earmarked by the legendary bowler in an interview with Rural Living magazine in 2018 as one to watch.
“Doully mentioning that definitely does encourage me,” Clarke says. “Obviously, he saw something in me from a young age. I have a lot of people behind me, but it’s definitely nice having someone with Doully’s experience backing me.”
Although he’s missing the opening salvos of the tour – the ODI matches – Clarke will likely feature from April 27. All going well, he will cement his place in the side.
“I’m very pleased to be part of the Bangladesh tour. It’ll be exciting to play in new conditions and adapt to them,” he says.
“A lasting spot in the Blackcaps would be nice, but I’ll have to put together good performances and showcase what I can do first. I’ll be taking it game by game.”
Clarke’s international career didn’t start well, out for single figures in two games against the Proteas last month.
“My first couple of games didn’t go right. I guess it had something to do with a new environment, new surroundings and added pressure. But it was cool to get a couple of games under my belt,” he says.
“Hopefully, I can put good performances on the board and put that tough(ish) start in internationals to rest.”
The Pukekohe Metro blaster had a mixed bag during the 2025–26 domestic season with the Northern Brave. Handy in the four-day Plunket Shield, he wasn’t as impressive in the one-day Ford Trophy.
However, as one half of the ‘smashingest’ Super Smash opening pair, alongside Brett Hampton, Clarke was a brute at the wicket.
With one of the best strike rates (171) and averages (61), he was the leading run scorer (431), playing a key role for the tournament winning Brave.
“The Super Smash was quite good,” he says modestly. “Batting with Brett, we got off to some quick starts. I took extra confidence from that, focusing on seeing and hitting the ball, which is what I feel I do best.”
Clarke credits his club with helping him reach the pinnacle of his sport.
“I played for Pukekohe Metro since I was old enough to play,” he says. “It’s a great club, great culture and a great vibe.”
In addition, his family also fostered his sporting skills. He has quite the pedigree. His grandfather, father and an uncle all played rugby for the Māori All Blacks; a brother, Tamati, played cricket for New Zealand at domestic and under-19 level and his aunt, Te Aroha Keenan, was a Silver Fern.
“Growing up, we all wanted to play sport. To play at the highest level in any sport is a huge achievement, so maybe there’s some good genes, talent-wise, that’s made us naturals.”
Content to stick to T20s for now, Clarke’s not ruling out competing in ODIs and tests.
“I need to figure out a bit more about how to go about the longer format, but test match cricket was always the goal when I was growing up,” he adds. “So, I’ll see how I get on.”
