Lingerie v LBW

As our esteemed editor so eloquently stated in a recent issue of TWC, there are lots of good reasons why Neil McKenzie should be back in the Test squad. All the arguments about his skill and experience are perfectly valid, but there's another cause for cricket fans to cheer when he's selected: because when Neil is at the crease, his girlfriend is in the stands.

And when Kerry McGregor is watching cricket, she gives the fans something to watch when they need a break from watching cricket.

Don't put her in a box, though (except for the one where they serve wine). Kerry, like the Highveld Lions captain, is far from a one-dimensional creature. Yes, she's impossibly beautiful and yes, she's South Africa's sexiest model and yes, she looks great in lingerie, but there's a lot more to her than that.

She knows the difference between a slip and a cover, for one thing, and she can make a better LBW decision than most umpires. She hasn't yet been tempted to pick up a bat herself, however. "I'd probably drive Neil insane - he's trying to teach me to play golf and that's hard enough!" Kerry is undisputed leader of the pack of cricket WAGs (Wives And Girlfriends), partly because she's been around for longer than most. She and Neil have been inseparable for five years, and in that time she's watched a whole lot of cricket.

The first game she attended was the 'unofficial' Test (following the furore involving match referee Mike Denness) against India at Centurion in 2001/02. "Phew, I know a lot more now," she says.

Her boyfriend's career hasn't interfered with her own demanding job, but at times an extra manicurist has to be called in to repair the ravages of tense moments on the pitch. (The most nail-biting of these occurred on the famous occasion when Neil scored 99 against Australia at Newlands in 2002, before being run out by Damien Martyn. "It was intense," says Kerry, biting her nails at the memory.)

She calls Neil "the perfect man" and even though cynics may find this cheesy, it's both endearing and encouraging to see someone who has been in a relationship for so long still sigh fondly and go dreamy-eyed when she lists her partner's qualities.

"He has such a good heart," she says. "He's generous. He's a gentleman. He's respectful. He's funny. He's my best friend. We laugh a lot and we just have fun, all the time."

This might have something to do with why she's slightly biased, by her own admission, towards cricketers. "I know some rugby players and they're nice people too, but yes, cricketers are by far the nicest."

Her favourite - apart from Neil - is Mark Boucher. "I really rate him as a cricketer," she says. "We're so lucky to have such a fantastic group of players generally. During the season it's like being part of a family, because everyone has to spend such a lot of time together. The wives and girlfriends socialise a lot, and they're also lovely."

Any new WAG entering the clan would do well to stick close to Kerry. Her inability to say anything nasty about anyone (she's even polite to those fans whose extensive use of the bar facility leads to impropriety) and her canny grasp of the game makes her an asset, to Neil in particular and to South African cricket in general.

When it comes to advice for women who date cricketers, she says the most important thing to do -- apart from wearing sunscreen -- is to pay close attention to the game ... when you can.

"Of course it's easy to watch when the person you love is out there," she says, "but four or five days can be a long time, so you need to be prepared. You have to learn to entertain yourself when there are slow patches. I take books and magazines, but it's also great to chat to people in the box over a glass of wine. It's enforced relaxation."

There's no relaxing when Neil is on strike, however. He, like most cricketers, has a whole set of sporting superstitions, and Kerry has her own. "I'm a very nervous spectator when he's batting," she says. "I have all sorts of superstitious rules, such as not being allowed to move from my seat while he's in."

So, for all you aspirant cricket WAGs out there, learn to sit still for long periods. And take heed of Kerry's other wisdom: "Don't ask who's winning," she says. "And never say anything like, 'What kind of a shot was that?'"