Photo Credit: Netball New Zealand
Former New Zealand cricketer and double international Lesley Murdoch has been elected President of New Zealand Cricket at the organisation’s 128th Annual General Meeting – the second woman to fill this role after out-going president, Debbie Hockley.
Mrs Murdoch, who played six Tests and 25 One Day Internationals for the New Zealand women’s team (captaining it in both formats) and represented her country in hockey at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, has been NZC’s vice president for the past year.
A prominent sports broadcaster and commentator, life member of NZC, and a member of the Hood Committee that modernised the old New Zealand Cricket Council in 1995, she is also a trustee on the New Zealand Community Trust.
Conducted by video conferencing, the AGM saw the election of new director Sarah Beaman, the re-election of director Kevin Malloy, and the retirement of board member, Jackie Lloyd.
Ms Beaman, who NZC commissioned to author the Women and Cricket Report in 2016, works with businesses and organisations both within and outside of the sport sector, helping build and improve organisational capability.
She is a Fellow with the NZ Business Excellence Foundation and an Accredited Recreation Professional (ARPro).
Previously a captain of the NZ U23 Women’s cricket team and coach of the Auckland Hearts, Ms Beaman was also a member of both the Junior Board and Women’s Board of NZC.
She was on the Recreation Aotearoa Board for six years, with two as Chair, having earlier worked in sport development at Harbour Sport and as Business Manager at UniSports Centre for Sport Performance.
NZC announced a surplus of $792,000 for the 2021-22 year against a budgeted loss of $3.6m, demonstrating its commercial resilience during a period of ongoing uncertainty, caused chiefly by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Five new life members were elected at the AGM:
Geoff Allott – Significant contributions in playing, administrative, and governance roles. Ten Tests and 31 ODIs. Leading wicket-taker with Shane Warne at 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup. Three terms as an NZC Director and a former member of NZC’s Senior Leadership Team. Former Director of Canterbury Cricket.
Catherine Campbell – Nine Tests and 85 ODIs (78 wickets). Three CWCs (1993, 1997 and winning CWC 2000 team). Captained NZ in two ODIs. Has worked for NZC since 1997 and has been NZC’s long-serving representative on the ICC Women’s Committee. WHITE FERNS Team Manager on several occasions.
Liz Dawson – Influential governance contribution as an NZC Board member over six years including leading the NZC’s Women in Cricket Governance project steering group. Legacy impact on account of her remarkable leadership as Chair of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 during challenging circumstances. MNZM.
Bruce Edgar – Thirty-nine Tests (1958 runs), 64 ODIs (1814 runs). Formed highly effective opening partnership with John Wright. BLACKCAPS selector 2014-16, and Wellington Firebirds’ coach.
Stuart Heal – Chair of NZC following the re-constitution of the Board in 2013. Led stable and effective NZC governance from 2013-2016. Oversaw successful co-hosting of CWC 2015. Former director and chair, and current President of Otago Cricket. NZOM for services to cricket and the community.
In addition, four Honorary Members of NZC were appointed, in recognition of outstanding service to cricket in New Zealand:
Nathan Astle – Eighty-one Tests (4702 runs, 11 hundreds), 223 ODIs (7090 runs, 16 hundreds). Starting as an all-rounder, Nathan developed into NZ’s most successful opening batsman in ODIs. Remarkable 222 Test innings vs England (fastest double century in Test history). MNZM.
Penny Kinsella – Six Tests and 20 ODIs. NZ Women’s selector 2005-06 to 2010-11. NZWCC council member 1988-1992. Board member NZ Cricket Museum. Coached Wellington age-group teams for three seasons. Active participant in past-player group development. Bert Sutcliffe medalist 2021.
Craig McMillan – Fifty-five Tests (3116 runs, six centuries), 197 ODIs (4,707 runs). Former BLACKCAPS Batting Coach. TV Commentator.
Haidee Tiffen – Two Tests, 117 ODIs (2919 runs, 49 wickets) and nine T20s. WHITE FERNS coach 2015-19. MNZM.
Martin Snedden was returned as chairman at the new board’s first meeting immediately following the AGM formalities.
The NZC Board is: Martin Snedden (chair), Sarah Beaman, Bill Birnie, Anna Campbell, Kevin Malloy, Diana Puketapu, Rebecca Rolls and Roger Twose.
President: Lesley Murdoch.
Name of Author: New Zealand Cricket
The New Zealand national cricket team, known as the Black Caps, made their Test debut in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth nation to play Test cricket. After waiting 26 years for their first Test win against the West Indies in 1956, they also played their first ODI in 1972–73 against Pakistan. New Zealand are the inaugural World Test Championship champions (2021) and have won the ICC Champions Trophy (2000). They have reached the Cricket World Cup final twice and the T20 World Cup final once.
