CRICKET: Richardson rose to the challenge

ANENDRA SINGH
Several years ago Central District's most prolific run-scorer, Mike Shrimpton, told Mark Richardson that Mark would never play for New Zealand as a batsman, according to Richardson's father, Howard.
"You can quote me on that. I remember that day clearly when Mike told Mark: 'You'll never play for New Zealand as a batsman because you've got too many technical difficulties," Howard said.
Last night Mark Richardson, 33, announced in Christchurch he would retire from all cricket after Monday's domestic State Championship match for Auckland.
"So Mark said: 'Stuff it! I'll show him," said the retired shoe shop owner who played in the Hawke's Bay representative team with Shrimpton, who was a skipper and is now the current White Ferns coach.
"Mike and I were good friends," said Richardson's father, who, with wife Carolyn, returned to Havelock North after spending 27 years in Auckland and Kerikeri.
Richardson's parents are from Wellington but the cricketer was born in Havelock North in 1971, where he went to school at Havelock North Primary School, before moving with his parents and elder sister Penny to Auckland as an eight-year-old.
Howard said Mark "very nearly" retired after the England tour this year. "But then he decided to go to Bangladesh and Australia, but he isn't retiring because of his performances.
"It was just too hard and he felt his time was up. It's pretty difficult to finish test matches and not be in the one-day side and coming home in the middle of winter to find someone who can give you throw-downs," Howard said.
"New Zealand Cricket never rated him as a batsman. So he just kept scoring runs and saying pick me," Howard said of Richardson who began his first-class career as a left-arm spin bowler who transformed into one of New Zealand's most successful top-order batsmen, finishing with an average of 44.77 from 38 tests.
Howard said when Richardson approached NZ Cricket for a bat he was told he had no chance in the middle order so he offered to open. "In the New Zealand A tour to England in 1998-99, he scored 212 not out against Sussex."
In his debut first-class match for NZ President's XI against India, Richardson snared the scalps of master batsman Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammad Azharuddin and allrounder Kapil Dev.
Richardson, who married Mary Dyer in August this year and holds a commerce degree, hoped to purse a career in journalism.