Wellington and New Zealand cricket great Bruce Edgar was elected President of Cricket Wellington at the organisation’s 23rd Annual General Meeting at the Basin Reserve this evening.
Edgar’s involvement in cricket in Wellington and New Zealand spans almost five decades as a player, coach, and administrator.
His playing career spanned from 1975 to 1990, amassing 87 first-class matches and 43 List-A matches for Wellington, as well as 39 Tests and 64 One Day Internationals for New Zealand.
As an administrator, Edgar was appointed to the Board of Cricket Wellington, following the amalgamation of Hutt Valley and Wellington Cricket Associations, and served from 2000 to 2004.
After nine years overseas in Sydney, Edgar returned to New Zealand and, in 2013, became the general manager of selection for the BLACKCAPS before taking the reigns as the Wellington Firebirds head coach in 2015 – a position he held until 2019.
Edgar’s work in sports administration continues as a trustee of the Cricketers Trust, Chair of the Players Retirement Fund and, also crosses over to rugby, where he is the Chair of the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Savings Scheme.
Cricket Wellington chairman David Howman noted his pride in electing Edgar as President and congratulated former President Alasdair McBeth on a successful term.
“Bruce is a proud Wellingtonian and the impact that he’s had on the game of cricket both at a regional and national level cannot be understated,” he said.
“We’re delighted to elect Bruce as President and know his dedication to the game in Wellington will continue to lead us into a bright future.
“I would also like to offer my sincere thanks to Alasdair McBeth who steps down from President after a successful eight-year term.
“Alasdair’s commitment to cricket in the Capital has been instrumental and the work he has done over the past eight years has helped build a strong base for Cricket Wellington to build on over the coming years.”
The meeting also highlighted another year of growth for cricket in the Capital, particularly in the community, pathway, and high-performance spaces.
Cricket Wellington’s new strategic objective of ‘more people playing and loving cricket’ and ‘more people playing for New Zealand’ showed success in its first year with eight players selected in WHITE FERNS squads and seven players selected in BLACKCAPS squads across the season.
Growth in the community space was highlighted by considerable increases in playing numbers, particularly in the female space, where playing numbers increased by 30%.
Cricket Wellington also joined the Changemakers Resettlement Forum and supported seven children from refugee families from Afghanistan, Iraq and Sri Lanka and covered their cricket fees, uniforms, equipment, and transport during the season.
The heroes of the community game were also recognised as Cricket Wellington selected its inaugural ‘Volunteer XI’ which recognises the commitment and dedication of volunteers across Wellington who help make cricket happen.
Members heard that the organisation recorded a loss of $50,538 for the previous financial year as a result of the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19 and the decision to not charge clubs teams fees for the 2020/21 season.
Cricket Wellington CEO Cam Mitchell highlighted his pride in the organisation’s growth in the face of the unique challenges faced over the past twelve months
“The impact of COVID-19 has posed unique and unforeseen challenges across all levels of our game and we’re proud of the response from the Board, our staff and the wider Wellington cricketing community,” he said.
“Our number one priority will always be our community and we know that the support we’ve provided across our many community stakeholders will ensure our game continues to grow and thrive.”
Five new vice-presidents were announced – Paul Chandler, Julie Harris, Colin Owens, Catharine Shields, and Jane Silvester, while former Firebirds and Blaze players Allex Evans, Liz Green, Stephen Murdoch and Jeetan Patel were appointed as honorary cricket members.
Board members Sally McKechnie and Prabha Ravi were both re-elected as directors of the Board, while Kendons was appointed as Cricket Wellington’s new auditor.
Three honorary officers were also appointed – John Greenwood was appointed as Honorary Legal Counsel, Dr Jake Pearson was appointed as honorary medical officer, and Ian Smith was appointed as honorary statistician.
“We’re very pleased to appoint an experienced group of new vice-presidents and honorary cricket members,” said Mitchell.
“They are all fantastic ambassadors for cricket in Wellington and their achievements in the game, whether that be on the field or off it, show that they personify the values of Cricket Wellington.
“Last season was a challenging one for everyone involved in our game, and sport in general, and we’re confident we’re now in a strong place moving forward and we look ahead to the new season with excitement and optimism.”
Click to read the 2020/21 Cricket Wellington Annual Report
here
Click here to watch the 2020/21 Cricket Wellington Annual Report video
Article added: Wednesday 13 October 2021
