Christopher Matthew Kirk (born 15 July 1947) is a New Zealand former university administrator and top-level

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er. He played for

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

and

Otago Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government reg ...

between the 1969–70 and 1978–79 seasons, playing in 25 first-class and six

List A List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket, with games lasting up to eight hours. List A cricket includes One Day International (ODI) matches and various domestic competitions in which the numbe ...

matches. He played Chapple Cup and Hawke Cup cricket for

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

from 1979–80 until 1984–85. Kirk was born at

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

in 1947 and educated at Xavier College and the

University of Canterbury The University of Canterbury ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha; postnominal abbreviation ''Cantuar.'' or ''Cant.'' for ''Cantuariensis'', the Latin name for Canterbury) is a public research university based in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was ...

where he gained a

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

in Chemistry in 1975, researching electron spin resonance.McCarron A (2010) ''New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010'', p. 76. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. Top Science Manager Appointed Lincoln University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Lincoln University, 12 August 2004. Retrieved 31 May 2023. He played age-group cricket for Canterbury sides and for New Zealand university sides, before making his senior representative debut in a December 1969 Plunket Shield match against Northern Districts at Lancaster Park. He played 26 first-class matches for the side over the following six seasons before graduating and taking up a position at the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

in England. He returned to New Zealand in 1977 to take up a post at the University of Otago and returned to representative cricket, playing eight first-class and two List A matches for Otago in his one season with the team. His final first-class match came the in 1978–79 when he played single match for Canterbury against Northern Districts.Chris Kirk
CricketArchive. Retrieved 31 May 2023. In 1968 Kirk survived the

Wahine disaster } TEV ''Wahine'' was a Twin-screw steamer, twin-screw, turbo-electric transmission, turbo-electric, roll-on/roll-off ferry. Ordered in 1964, the Ship, vessel was built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, in Govan, Glasgow, Sc ...

, the sinking of a passenger ferry on the Lyttelton to

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

route. He assisted in the process of abandoning ship and was recovered after three hours in the water. Over 50 people died in the disaster.Wahine survivor recalls 'shuddering feeling'
''

Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly (author), Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jere ...

'', 31 January 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2023. Professionally he worked at the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), is a Public university, public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university perfo ...

before moving to

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

in 1996 where his focus shifted from academic research to research management and administration. He worked with government departments and was the Director of Commercialisation and Innovation for the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology before moving to take up the role of deputy vice-chancellor at Lincoln University in 2004. He has since retired.

References

External links

* 1947 births Living people New Zealand cricketers Canterbury cricketers Otago cricketers Cricketers from Christchurch {{NewZealand-cricket-bio-1940s-stub