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New Zealand's First Professional Cricketer

stumpski

stumpski

International Captain
I don't remember seeing Glenn Turner play - although I must have done at some point in the 1979 World Cup, when he returned briefly to the New Zealand side (and batted at 4 so as not to break up the established opening pair of Wright and Edgar). But for a New Zealander, even one playing most of his cricket in England, to make a hundred first-class 100s was an astonishing achievement, on a par with his countryman Richard Hadlee becoming the first man to 400 Test wickets a few years later. It only emphasises how much his country missed him when he was unavailable - perhaps no other cricketer since SF Barnes has had a clearer idea of his own value.
 
fredfertang

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Was wondering if someone might latch on to the deliberately slightly disingenuous title. Turner was the first to be recognised as a pro by the New Zealand Board, but not the first to play the First Class game professionally, which is why I slipped in the names of Hitchcock and Pritchard for when I got called on it.

I haven't actually looked for the first ever County pro from NZ but Cec Dacre is certainly an excellent shout - apparently he hit his first ball in Championship cricket for 6, something I don't suppose too many others have done.
 
BoyBrumby

BoyBrumby

Englishman
HeathDavisSpeed said:
I automatically assumed the article would be about Martin Donnelly for some reason.
Click to expand...
As he played union for England (and him being an Oxbridge man to boot) he'd had to have been a "gentleman", wouldn't he?

Typically excellent article from fred; very timely too what with NZ's current star batsman also not in the test XI for reasons other than purely cricketing ones.
 
the big bambino

the big bambino

International Captain
Yep I'd have thought Dacre. Alot of sheepshaggers went to England play for pay in the 30s. A number ending up playing for Sir Julien Cahn. They weren't considered for NZ as a consequence. Merv Wallace said that if NZ selected some like Dempster, Blunt, James and Merritt and picked others they eventually left behind like Pritchard and Christensen, they would have beaten England in the 37 series.
 
the big bambino

the big bambino

International Captain
Tom Pritchard turned 100 the other day. If I read the article in the NZ Herald correctly it said said he bowled outswingers with a break back. Not at different times but the same delivery. That seems incredible to me. However owning both types of deliveries is believable and would make him a difficult bowler to face. Of course the war and the limited test program of the time made it impossible for he and Cowie to pair up at test level. When you consider Cowie's outswinger and leg cutter complementing Pritchard's skills you'd think they'd have made a decent attack and at least the equal of India's duo, Nissar and Amar Singh.
 
Zinzan

Zinzan

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Great article that Fred, had missed it at the time.

Glenn Turner must be among the most underrated (& even unknown in many cases) batsman on CW. A pioneer of ODI batting in the early days.
 
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