NZC 'First Eleven' inducted into inaugural Hall of Fame

11:12 am on 6 December 2024

Debbie Hockley celebrates taking a catch against Australia at the 1995 World Cup in Auckland. Photo: Photosport

One of the most successful women in World Cup history, the first man to take 400 test wickets, and the fastest test century ever are among the achievements of the inaugural New Zealand Cricket Hall of Fame class.

Officially opened at the New Zealand Cricket Museum in Wellington by former NZC president, Lesley Murdoch, the inaugural Hall of Fame features the induction of eleven foundation members whose playing careers span an era from 1947 to 2016.

The "First Eleven": Bert Sutcliffe, John Reid, Jackie Lord, Trish McKelvey, Glenn Turner, Sir Richard Hadlee, Debbie Hockley, Martin Crowe, Emily Drumm, Daniel Vettori, and Brendon McCullum, have been honoured with an exhibit featuring near life-size portraits with video and biographical content displayed on a digital touchscreen.

An initiative between NZC, the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, and the New Zealand Cricket Museum, the Hall of Fame seeks to immortalise the country's greatest cricketers.

Sir Richard Hadlee 2023. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The rules require inductees to have played for New Zealand and to have been retired for at least five years, with criteria weighted in favour of performance, leadership and influence.

A softer guideline was that players recognised should be of world-class stature in their prime, good enough to be picked in a theoretical World XI.

A shortlist was researched and compiled by cricket historian, statistician and author Francis Payne, without peer in his discipline within New Zealand, and stress tested with New Zealand women's cricket historian and author, Trevor Auger, Murdoch, and the NZCPA.

McCullum’s triple century at Basin in 2014 Photo:

Payne, the long-time co-author of the annual New Zealand Cricket Almanack, as well as various other publications including Men in White, said the beauty of the Hall of Fame concept was that it was a subjective exercise, calculated to cause discussion.

"The first intake is always the most straight-forward as it includes some players who essentially pick themselves, they stand out that much," said Payne.

"However, even in this phase there'll still be discussions and debates about who should or should not be there - and that's almost the point of the exercise, to keep the stories of New Zealand's greatest players alive."

New Zealand cricket players Bert Sutcliffe (l) and John Reid (r) shake hands at the Plunket Shield Cricket competition, 1959.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Payne, NZC's official historian, said there were clearly other players, both men and women, who were worthy of membership and stressed there would be opportunities to add to the foundation members on an annual basis.

"This is very much a living tribute with new players being added each year."

Murdoch, who played for New Zealand between 1979 and 1990 and is now a sports media host, said the Hall of Fame was an important part of NZC's push to better recognise the sacrifice and heroics of its past players.

Emily Drumm playing against Australia at the World Cup in 2000. Photo: Photosport

"Now we have the project off the ground and underway, the plan is to incorporate a nominations panel and a voting academy, dominated by former players, who will vote to choose additional inductees on an annual basis," she said.

The New Zealand Cricket Museum, located in the ground's Old Pavilion Stand, will be open throughout Black Caps' second test against England.

NZC Hall of Fame Foundation Inductees