Ashes are one of the world’s oldest sporting rivalries and one of the biggest in cricket. It is no surprise thus to see packed stands whenever Australia play England.
However, 12-year-old Max Waight took this obsession to another level when he saved for four years just to watch his heroes play in England.
In 2015, Max had watched Australia win the World Cup on home soil and it was then that he and his mother hatched a plan about going to England in 2019 and watch the Australian team take on England in their own backyard in the Ashes.
His father Damien Waight told him that if he could earn 1,500 Australian dollars, he would take him to the UK.
This INCREDIBLE #Ashes story is a must-watch!
12-year-old Max Waight saved up 4 years worth of pocket money to go to the Ashes 😮@_jamespattinson and @cricketaus had a big surprise for Max 👏#9WWOS #Cricket pic.twitter.com/xny0LXX9lK
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) September 6, 2019
Following this, Max and his mother came up with the idea of wheeling their neighbours’ rubbish bins out on the weekend for a charge of $1 per household.
The entire process went on for four years and Max kept on putting out bins on weekends. And at last, he was able to raise the money asked by his father, who booked the tickets and took the entire family to England to watch the ongoing fourth Ashes Test at the Old Trafford in Manchester.
“When I said it, I had to follow through. If he saved up the money, I wasn’t going to let him down,” Damien said.
“You don’t fast forward in your mind at the start and think you’re going to do it, but it’s good that we are here. It’s an amazing experience. We’ve got our whole family and another close family that we’re friends with. We’re just making memories,” he added.
Max also got to meet his two favourite players — Steve Smith and Pat Cummins.
“Steve Smith and Pat Cummins are my favourites. I got to talk to them about how they prepare and play the game. It was very enjoyable,” Max said.
At lunch on Day 2, pacer James Pattinson gifted Max a team T-shirt signed by the entire Australia squad.
“I really enjoy playing and watching cricket. It’s just a passion of mine,” Max said.
