History

By John Martin and Hamish McDougall

The Victoria University Cricket Club has a long and proud history. Its former members include a number of Wellington and New Zealand representative cricketers and many others who have gained prominance in business, the public service and the legal fraternity.

The University Cricket Club was established at Kelburn Park in 1906 and affiliated to the Wellington Cricket Association. In 1907 the first teams played in the Association’s junior championships; and in 1909, when district cricket was introduced to Wellington, University was classed as a district and entered the senior ranks.

Since then cricket and university life have been closely entwined.  The club has maintained its association with the campus —in other cities in New Zealand university clubs have lost their identity in amalgamation with other clubs; has achieved success on the field; contributed its players to representative teams, and played a notable part in the administration of cricket in Wellington.

In the early years University competed well in the senior competition and a number of the team represented Wellington (among them C. Berendsen, later Sir Carl Berendsen one of New Zealand’s most distinguished public servants and diplomats).

The first World War took a heavy toll among University cricketers and University lost its senior status, regained in 1925/26. Among the outstanding players over the next decade were A.M. Hollings, R.H.C. McKenzie and E.G. McLeod who was the first New Zealand representative from the club (against England in the 1929/30 season). In the 1930s J.A. Ongley (later Sir Joseph, High Court Judge) represented New Zealand (vs Sir Julien Cahn’s XI in 1938/39); with W. Tricklebank and J.A.R. Blandford,  Ongley played for Wellington in Plunket Shield matches.

World War II was a difficult period for the club but in the first peacetime season 1945/46 University won the Senior Championship for the first time. Led by Gilbert Stringer (later Director-General, NZBC) this team included later New Zealand representatives in Ian Colquhoun (wicket keeper in the 1955 Test against England in which New Zealand were dismissed for 26!) and Don Beard (who played in New Zealand’s first test victory against the West Indies in 1956).  Others in this team who were to play a major part in University cricket over the next 15 years were R.A. (Bob) Vance (whom the Basin Reserve's Vance stand is named after,) J.H. (John) Oakley and T.C.(Tom) Larkin  All were members of the team that again won the Senior Championship in 1952/53. Tom Larkin (later New Zealand’s Ambassador to Japan) had the unusual distinction of also being a member of the University Rugby XV which won the Jubilee Cup in 1946.

University cricket was strong in the 1950s and into the 60s. It won the Senior Championship again in 1960/61, 1964/65 and 1966/67. Vance, D.S.(Doug) St John, P.M. (Malcolm) McCaw, W.J.R. (Wilf) Haskell, J.C.A. (Jim) Thomson, W.R. (Bill) Perkins, J.D. (John) Behrent and G.M. (Greg) Aim were among those who represented Wellington. Towards the end of the decade, B.A.G. (Bruce)  Murray joined the club and went on to represent Wellington and New Zealand with distinction. Murray is the current President of Cricket Wellington. A well-supported President’s grade side during these years included later Chief Justice H.R.C Wild, Universty Chancellor R.S.V. Simpson and Dean of the Law Faculty, Professor C.C. Aikman.

The club had an exceedingly strong committee and social following throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1971 the club partly funded the building of the Kelburn Park pavilion, which has been the affectionate home of University cricket since. Located on majestic Kelburn Park, the pavilion's elevated position behind the bowler's arm and sunny deck is the envy of other clubs throughout the region. 

Players to have attained representative honours in the 1970s and 1980s included Andrew Jones, who went on to become one of New Zealand's finest batsmen, Jonathan Ross (Rhodes Scholar and later captain of Oxford University), Richard Pither, David Oakley and Ross and Ian Ormiston. 

Andrew Jones, VUWCC's most capped test cricketer

University women's cricket also flourished throughout the 1970s and 1980s, thanks largely to the contributions of life member Janet Stribling. A combined University-Technical Old Girls side won the Senior Women's Championship in 1988/89 and New Zealand representatives during this period included Linda Fraser, Penny Kinsella and Karen Musson.

While University had some success in the early 1990s, twice winning the Sunday Cup in 1990-91 and 1991-92, it was in the mid to late 1990s that the club enjoyed arguably its most successful period at senior men's level. The side, captained by Wellington representative and current Wellington Blaze coach Robbie Kerr twice won the Wellington Senior Championship in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and won the National Club championships three years running; 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98. Players to have achieved representative honours in this period included New Zealand test players Heath Davis and Matthew Bell (also Wellington captain), England test cricketer and later international umpire Neil Mallender; and Wellington representatives Scott Golder, Regan West and Glen White.

The club's latest Wellington representative is allrounder Graham Murray, who played a number of State Championship and State Shield games in the 2004/2005 season.

Today the club is close to being the biggest in its history, with 10 mens and womens teams of all abilities. The senior side competes in the Hazlett Trophy and is looking to gain promotion to the top flight in the 2005/2006 season.

A number of old team photographs can be found here