Four new vice-presidents and 12 new honorary members were elected at the 21^st Cricket Wellington AGM held last week.

Kathy Cross, Allan Hewson, Erv McSweeney and departing board chair Sally Morrison were nominated to vice-presidency, while Anna Corbin, Maureen Dunlop, Grant Elliott, James Franklin, Cheryl Henshilwood, Anna O’Leary, Jill Saulbrey, Megan Wakefield, Mark Gillespie, Michael Papps, Neal Parlane and Sian Ruck were nominated as honorary members.

Kathy Cross began umpiring cricket in the 1990s at club level.  It became apparent very quickly that she was very good at the role given her rapid rise up the levels.

She made her debut in women’s first-class cricket in 1999 - a game in which a young Central Hinds team, batting second, beat the experienced Canterbury Magicians in the last over. 

In all Kathy stood in 156 domestic women’s one day games and 74 women’s domestic 20/20 fixtures.

She made her international women’s One-Day debut in November 2000 and later that month stood in her first Women’s World Cup, the first of four. 

On top of all that, Kathy stood in five men’s List A games, two T20 games and two Hawke Cup Challenges. 

In January 2014 Kathy was added to the ICC Affiliates Umpires Panel, the first woman to be appointed to an ICC umpires list.

Kathy was a member of Cricket Wellington Umpires and Scorers for over twenty years.  Her contribution to club cricket was immense.  Not only standing in games but as part of the training team and mentoring new umpires as they joined the group. 

Allan Hewson first played for the Petone District Cricket Club in 1962 as a five-year-old in the junior grades run by his father Roy.  He was coached by Jack Capstick throughout his junior years.  Allan attended HVHS from 1968 to 1971 and played his first senior game for Petone in 1969 while still at college.  He was first selected for Hutt Valley in 1970 as a 16-year-old.  He represented NZ Secondary Schools in 1970/71 season and played Wellington Brabin first as a 16-year-old and Wellington Rothmans.  Allan became a full Wellington representative in 1978/79 season and his cricketing future looked bright.

Rugby then stepped in and in Allan’s words he was a surprise selection in the All Black team.  This curtailed his representative cricket career. 

Allan continued to play for Petone until he was 40 years old, retiring from Senior Cricket at the end of the 1994/95 season.  While still playing Allan coached his son Mark’s junior team from 1985 until 1992.  Thought-out that time, he helped his dad Roy run the schoolboy section of the Club.  Allan was the club coach when Marked joined him in the team in 1998.

From 2000 until the present he has been President/Chairman and done every other job that was required to keep the club going.

Erv McSweeney excelled at cricket, rugby, tennis and basketball at college. On leaving college he was selected in both the Hawkes Bay Cricket and Rugby teams. Rugby soon gave way to cricket and he debuted for CD in the 1979-80 season.

He transferred to Wellington the following year to attend Victoria University, joining the Karori Club and immediately debuted for Wellington. He was appointed captain for the first time the following season,(1982-83) and led Wellington to the Shell Trophy. After captaining Wellington for a number of seasons he stood down from the captaincy and was replaced by Bert Vance. He was to have a second tenure as captain when Vance resigned the captaincy.  Wellington won two Shell Trophies and three Shell Cups under McSweeney’s leadership. He was an innovative and decisive captain, playing an attacking brand of cricket, always leading from the front.

His last year as captain was 1991-92 when he led Wellington to the Shell Cup Title.

He then played on for a number of seasons, playing a big part in a now much younger side led by Gavin Larsen. On finally retiring from first class cricket he was to be captain and coach of the Emerging players side helping develop such players as Steve Mather and Greg McKenzie.

He was appointed CEO of Cricket Wellington in 2000 a position he was to hold until he resigned in 2007-08. In his first year as CEO Wellington won the Shell Trophy under Matthew Bell, repeated again in 2004.

Women’s Cricket developed and thrived during his time as CEO with NZ Captain Maia Lewis leading a successful Wellington side.

There were many challenges and highlights off the field during this time, including moving offices from Construction House to the Basin Reserve, restarting the Basin Reserve Trust under Chairman Doug Catley and retaking control of the Basin from the Wellington City Council. Three indoor training centres were developed under his guidance, at Westpac Stadium, Hutt Rec and Plimmerton. These have continued to be a huge resource for cricket in the region.

Other highlights included working with the Basin Reserve Trust to get the Don Neely electronic scoreboard running, the first cricket event at Westpac Stadium and working with the Museum Trust to expand the Cricket Museum in the Old Stand.

On leaving Cricket Wellington, Erv and his family relocated to the Bay of Plenty where he is Commercial Manager for Bay Venues managing all the sporting venues in the Bay of Plenty including the Trustpower Baypark Stadium and Arena.

Sally Morrison was 'born into cricket' with her birth being induced for a good reason: John Morrison had a test cricket match to play. After cradling his newborn daughter, Morrison flew to Christchurch the next morning and took the field for New Zealand against Australia. It so happened that five days later the country was celebrating a historic first trans-Tasman test victory.

At 16, Morrison made her first cricketing committee at Wellington's Karori club, which she'd joined because her father's beloved Onslow didn't have a women's team. She would play and coach cricket for over 20 years before dedicating her time to cricket administration roles.

After a stint overseas, Morrison returned to Wellington and played Club and 2nd XI cricket, but her real talents were recognised in 2003 when she was asked to be the team manager for the Wellington Blaze a role which she held for five busy years.

Sally joined Wellington Collegians Cricket Club in 2001 because Karori women's team had folded, naturally she joined the committee and in 2007 took her first seat at the head of a cricketing table as Chair of Collegians, a first for a female in Wellington.

In 2009 Sally sought election onto the Cricket Wellington Board. Sally was Cricket Wellington’s first elected female Director; at the time she was the only female on any Major Association Board. She drove significant change across the community game and pushed for a far more customer centric approach to delivering cricket at all levels.

In 2016 Sally was elected by the Board to serve as Chair, a role she will retire from at the 2019 AGM after a hugely busy and successful three years. She was the first ever female to hold this leadership role in any cricket association in NZ.

Sally leaves the Board in a strong position, in particular as a result of her time as Chair. In 2018 Cricket Wellington was awarded the Sport NZ Governance Mark, only the fifth organisation to achieve this and the first regional sports organisation.

Also in 2018 Sally joined the Wellington Hockey Board and is now Chair of this Association, she has brought her insights from hockey into her role in cricket.

In 2019 Sally was awarded sports highest leadership award in Wellington in recognition of her services to cricket, hockey and our community.

Sally has also been nominated as a finalist in the Next NZ Woman of the Year Awards. 

Anna Corbin (Minot) played for Wellington from 1996/97 to 2008/09.  A local player from Hutt District Anna played 88 one day scoring 667 runs with a highest score of 46.  She took 90 wickets at 22.05 with a best of 5-7 and 5 T20 games.  Anna captained the Blaze to a T20 win in 2009.  Anna scored 667 runs with a highest score of 46.  Anna also played 31 ODIs for New Zealand.

Maureen Dunlop (Peters) – Played for Wellington from 1960/61 to 1983/84.  She played 58 two day matches for Wellington scoring 1,322 runs with a highest score of 108 and got 2 centuries.  Maureen took 184 wickets at 12.3 with a best of 8-25 and 9 five wicket hauls. In one match she had bowling figures of 19.3 overs 15 maidens, 7 wickets for 6 runs. In 15 one day matches she scored 217 runs and took 39 wickets at 11.6 and a career best 7019.  Maureen also payed 2 tests and 16 ODIs for New Zealand.

Grant Elliott – First played for Griqualand West and Gauteng in South Africa before going to Canterbury, and then to Wellington where he made his home.  Grant debuted in Wellington 2005/06 and played to 2015/16.  Grant played a total of 191 matches - 57 first class games he scored 2,907 runs at 34.20 with a highest score of 196 and hit 7 centuries.  He took 66 wickets with a best of 5-33.  He played 72 one day matches scoring 2,004 runs at 37.11 including two centuries.  He also took 69 wickets with a best of 5-34.  In 62 T20 games for Wellington he scored 1,136 runs with a best of 70 and obtained 40 wickets at 24.3.  Grant also played 5 Tests, 83 ODIs and 17 T20s for New Zealand.

James Franklin – played age-grade representative cricket for Wellington and debuted for the Firebirds in 1998/99 while still at Wellington College.  He continued to play for Wellington until 2014/15 before moving to the UK to play for Middlesex.  During his time with Wellington he captained the Firebirds winning the Ford Trophy and Super Smash titles in 2014.  James played 221 games for Wellington.  In 80 first class matches he scored 4,595 runs at 44.18 with a highest score of 219 and made 13 centuries.  He took 206 wickets at 24.77 with a best of 7-30.  He played 93 one day games making 2,368 runs at 38.19 including two centuries and took 76 wickets with a best of 5-46.  In 48 T20 games he made 1,223 runs (highest run scorer for Wellington at 34.94 and took 18 wickets.  James played 31 tests for New Zealand where he is one of only 2 New Zealand bowlers to take a test hat-trick, 110 ODS and 38 T20 internationals. 

Mark Gillespie – is a local player from Tawa who played age grade representative cricket for Wellington.  He debuted for the Firebirds in 1999/00 and played until 2014/15.  Mark played 173 games for the Firebirds.  He played 82 first class games scoring 1,584 runs with a highest score of 81*.  He took 344 wickets at 27.289 with a best of 6-38 including 16 five wicket bags.  In 82 one day games he made 361 runs and took 137 wickets at 25.78 and a best of 6-38.  He played 9 T20 games for Wellington scoring 25 runs and took 5 wickets.  Mark is third on the list of all-time wicket takers for Wellington and he has taken the most one day wickets for Wellington – 137.

Cheryl Henshilwood – played for Wellington from 1970/71 to 1981 having played for age grade sides prior to that.  She played 34 two-day matches for Wellington scoring 828 runs at 27.6 and a highest score of 79*.  She also took 5 wickets.  In 6 one day games she scored 106 runs and took 6 wickets.

Anna O’Leary (Smith) – played for Wellington from 1998/99 to 2006/07.  She was a local player from Upper Hutt who played her club cricket for Taita.  Anna played 56 one day games for Wellington scoring 1,552 runs with a highest score of 104 and two centuries.  She played 1 Test and 15 ODIs for New Zealand.

Michael Papps – a Cantabrian who played from 1998/99 to 2010/11 for Canterbury before moving to Wellington for a new challenge.  He played for Wellington until 2017/18.  Michael played 177 games for Wellington.  In 69 first class games he scored 4,837 runs at 40.65 with 13 centuries and a highest score of 316 (the only triple hundred for Wellington).  He played, 50 one day games scoring 1,697 runs at 36.89 getting three centuries and a highest score of 162*.  In 54 T20 games he scored 1,128 runs and had a highest score of 80*.  He played 8 tests and 6 ODIs for New Zealand.

Neal Parlane – started his cricket career with Northern Districts where he played from 1996/97 to 2000/01.  He debuted for Wellington in 2002/03 and played until 2010/11.  Neal played 177 matches for Wellington.  In 79 first class games he scored 4,654 runs at 39.77 scoring 11 centuries and a highest score of 193.  In 71 one day games he scored 1,546 runs, including one century.  He also played 27 T20 games scoring 721 runs.  On leaving Wellington he played one further season for Auckland.

Sian Ruck – a local player who player for Wellington from 2006/07 to 2013/14.  Sian played 68 one day games for the Blaze.  She scored 241 runs and took 63 wickets with a best of 4-13.  She played 27 ODIs and 37 T20s for New Zealand.

Jill Saulbrey – a local player from the Hutt Valley who played for Wellington from 1965/66 to 1975/76.  For Wellington Jill played 44 two-day games, scoring 594 runs with a highest score of 37*.  She took 228 wickets at 9.48.   She had career best figures of 9-22 (Maureen Peters took the other) and had 17 five wicket hauls.  In one match she had figures of 19 overs 14 maidens 7-13.

Megan Wakefield – played her club cricket for Taita and Johnsonville. She played for Wellington from 2001/02 to 2011/12.  Megan played 120 matches for the Blaze.  In 91 one day games she scored 2,124 runs including her only century (120).  She also took 6 wickets.  In 29 T20 games she scored 562 runs with a highest score of 41. 

Cricket Wellington would like to thank all of the vice-presidents and honorary members for their dedication and commitment to Wellington cricket.

Article added: Tuesday 22 October 2019