Photo Credit: Netball New Zealand
Former New Zealand cricketer and double international Lesley Murdoch has been elected vice president of New Zealand Cricket at the organisation’s 127th Annual General Meeting.
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 elected VP for a one-year term, following which she becomes eligible for nomination for the role of NZC President.
A life member of NZC, a member of the Hood Committee that modernised the old New Zealand Cricket Council in 1995, and a prominent sports broadcaster and commentator, she joins former team-mate and current President Debbie Hockley as an NZC office-bearer.
Ms Hockley’s second three-year term will expire in November 2022.
Conducted by video conferencing, the AGM saw the re-election of director Martin Snedden (who was later re-elected by the Board as chair), the formal election of Roger Twose (who was co-opted to the Board in January), and the retirement of long-time board member Geoff Allott.
The new face on the Board is Bill Birnie, a highly experienced director with a strong investment banking and investment background, who has held several Government board appointments including Sport NZ, High Performance Sport NZ, Hillary Commission, NZ Racing Board, NZ Film Commission and the NZ Screen Council.
Mr Birnie is currently a Director of TAB NZ, a Trustee of the NZ Parliamentary Education Trust, the chair of the KidsCan Charitable Trust and a founding trustee of the Wellington Stadium Trust. He is an Honorary Life Member of Equestrian Sport NZ.
NZC announced at the AGM a surplus of $160,000 for the 2020-21 year – the final result heavily influenced by the successful delivery of a full season of professional cricket, and prudent cost-cutting.
The NZC Board: Martin Snedden (chair), Bill Birnie, Anna Campbell, Jackie Lloyd, Kevin Malloy, Diana Puketapu, Rebecca Rolls, Roger Twose
NZC President: Debbie Hockley
NZC Vice-President: Lesley Murdoch
Notes from NZC Board profiles:
Lesley Murdoch is a former New Zealand double-international, having represented her country in cricket and hockey. She played six Tests and 25 ODIs for the New Zealand women’s cricket team (captaining them in both disciplines), as well as being a member of the New Zealand hockey team that finished sixth at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. A member of the Hood Committee that modernised the old New Zealand Cricket Council in 1995, she was an NZC Board member from 1996-98, a New Zealand women’s team selector and, in 2019, was made a Life Member of NZC. Over the past three decades Lesley has been a prominent sports broadcaster and commentator. In 2016, she became the first women to receive the New Zealand Sports Journalism Association’s Lifetime Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sport. She is a past president and now board member of the Christchurch Metro Cricket Association, a Netball New Zealand board member, and a trustee of the NZ Community Trust. In 1987, Lesley received an MBE for services to cricket and hockey, and in 2016 she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport.
Bill Birnie has a strong investment banking and investment background. He has held several Government board appointments including Sport NZ, High Performance Sport NZ, Hillary Commission, NZ Racing Board, NZ Film Commission and the NZ Screen Council. He is currently a Director of TAB NZ and a Trustee of the NZ Parliamentary Education Trust. Following his tenure on the Equestrian Federation Board, Bill was awarded an Honorary Life Membership by Equestrian Sport NZ. Bill is Chairman of the KidsCan Charitable Trust and a Founding Trustee of the Wellington Stadium Trust. Bill has received a CNZM for services to Governance, the Arts and Sport.
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.
