Businessman and former New Zealand Test player Dion Nash has been elected to the Board of New Zealand Cricket.

Nash, who played 32 Tests and 81 One Day Internationals for his country, also acted as a New Zealand men’s team selector before founding the skin and haircare company, Triumph & Disaster in 2011.

The 53-year-old will fill the vacancy left by the departing Martin Snedden, who steps down from the board by rotation following a lengthy service to the game as a player, chief executive, board member, chair of the board, and International Cricket Council director.

Bill Birnie and Roger Twose, who were also retired by rotation, successfully stood for re-election.

Board chair Diana Pukepatu-Lyndon welcomed Nash as a new NZC director and acknowledged Snedden’s significant contribution to the game.

“It’s good to have someone with Dion’s cricket and business experience coming onto the board at a time when Martin is stepping down,” said Puketapu-Lyndon.

“Martin’s been involved with NZC since he was a player in the eighties and has made an extraordinary contribution to the game over a period of 24 years.

“His mix of cricket, legal, and management expertise has been an important ingredient in the evolution of NZC from an old-fashioned incorporated society to a professional, modern and future-thinking organisation.”

Ms Puketapu-Lyndon said Nash’s addition would ensure the board retained a strong understanding of the anatomy and culture of the game at both community and high performance level.

“Dion has a strong interest in not just the playing of the game but the business of the game and that should help stand us in good stead.”

The AGM heard that NZC returned an $8m surplus for the financial year, just over 50 percent above the budgeted surplus of $5.3m.

While the result was pleasing, Puketapu-Lyndon said it was important for NZC to protect its equity as there were headwinds forecast in the shape of a predicted $6.8m loss in the following 2024-25 financial year.

“Revenue for FY24 came in at $98.4m against a budget of $93.9m,” she said.

“This was in the main part due to a distribution wash up from the previous ICC broadcast cycle, increased gates for Pakistan and Australian series versus the BLACKCAPS, and some new commercial partnerships.

“Operating expenses were basically in line with budget at $87.8m, which meant an operating profit of $8m against a budgeted operating profit of $5.3, which is a very good result for NZC.”

The meeting elected four additional life members (Neil Craig ONZM, Graham Dowling OBE, Lee Robinson MNZM, and Jock Sutherland QSM) and three more honorary members (WHITE FERNS Nicola Browne and Aimee Watkins, and former New Zealand player and coach, Warren Lees MBE).

Please find short bios for these members below.

LIFE MEMBERS

Neil Craig ONZM

Neil has been a life-long lover of cricket, supporting the game at a local and regional level, culminating in his (still ongoing) vital leadership role in the conception and development of the Bay Oval international match venue in Mt Maunganui. A director of Craigs, one of New Zealand’s largest full-service investment advisory and investment banking firms, Neil was a highly effective NZC director between 2013 and 2019, during which time his financial and commercial expertise underpinned a period of unprecedented success for NZC on the international scene.  Neil was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2016 for his services to business and philanthropy.

Graham Dowling OBE

• Played 39 Tests, captaining 19 of them.
• A National Selector, Team Manager and Board Member (between 1977-1985).
• Won the Redpath Cup three times and was awarded an OBE for services to cricket and other organisations in 1987. He has also received the Bert Sutcliffe Medal in 2004.
• ICC Match Referee 1995-2008.
• NZC Secretary/ Executive Director/ Chief Executive 1984-1995.

Lee Robinson MNZM

Lee has played a massive role in the development of Hagley Oval:

• Project conception, fund-raising, progressive venue development and, ultimately, evolution into what is now, arguably, NZC’s premier international venue.
• Playing a vital leadership role securing council consent, and Environment Court approval, for the installation of light towers.
• And more recently he played a key role in the development of the associated Sir Richard Hadlee Sport Centre.

Throughout that time Lee has chaired the Canterbury Cricket Trust, the tenant at Hagley Oval, and expertly guided the Trust through major stakeholder challenges and volatile economic times, all the while keeping the good of cricket as his ‘North Star’.

Lee has been a (voluntary) Code of Conduct Commissioner for both NZC and the Canterbury Cricket Association since 1992.

Lee was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2017 for his services to the community and sport.

Jock Sutherland QSM

• NZC: Jock was an NZC director from 1990 till 1996, leading important sub-committees, being instrumental in the merger of the NZ Women’s Cricket Council with NZC and being part of the Hood Committee, whose recommendations revolutionized NZC governance.
• Central Districts: He served on the Central Districts Management Committee from 1981 till 1989, was CD deputy chair for four years, President in 2005-6, and Patron since 2017. He is a CD life member.
• Nelson Cricket: Has been continually involved, in one capacity or another, since 1979, including terms as Chair and as President, and has been Nelson’s honorary solicitor for more than 40 years. He is a Nelson Cricket life member. He played a major role in recent years guiding Nelson Cricket out of near insolvency.
• Wakatu Cricket Club: He has been involved in the club since the 1970s and is a life member.
• Saxton Oval: He was instrumental in the conception, development, build, and funding of this venue.

Jock received the Queen’s Service Medal in 2015 for services to cricket.

HONORARY MEMBERS

Nicola Browne

• WHITE FERNS 2002-2014, playing 181 games for her country.
• Right arm pace bowler. Powerful middle order batter.
• Played 125 ODIs scoring 2002 runs and taking 88 wickets.
• 54 T20Is (552 runs, 47 wickets) and two Tests.

Aimee Watkins (nee Mason)

• WHITE FERNS career spanning ten years (2001-2011), playing 141 matches.
• 103 ODI matches (1889 runs, 92 wickets), 36 T20Is, two Tests.
• Former WHITE FERNS Captain.
• Ranked the fifth best all-rounder in world cricket in 2011.
• Spin bowling all-rounder who was a powerful hitter of the ball.
• Has stayed in cricket via commentary and is involved at district cricket board level.

Warren (Wally) Lees MBE

• Wicket keeper batsman, playing in NZ’s first ever Test win over England in 1978.
• Former BLACKCAP – 52 games between 1976 and 1983.
• Former BLACKCAPS Head Coach – playing a leading role in the team’s unconventional and successful tactics in the 1992 World Cup.
• Former WHITE FERNS Head Coach.
• Former CEO of Otago Cricket and coached Otago Sparks.
• Awarded an MBE in 1989 for services to cricket.