Cricket: Lesley Murdoch elected NZC Vice President

Lesley Murdoch joins former team-mate and current President Debbie Hockley as an NZC office-bearer. Photosport

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.

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 for Newstalk ZB, she joins former team-mate and current President Debbie Hockley as an NZC office-bearer.

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.

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 – a final result heavily influenced by the successful delivery of a full season of professional cricket, and prudent cost-cutting.

The NZC Board is: 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