The London New Zealand Cricket Club is a

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 ...

club in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, founded in December 1951 at New Zealand's High Commission to the United Kingdom and plays teams in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

. Various players of the

New Zealand national cricket team The New Zealand national cricket team represents New Zealand in men's international cricket. Named the Black Caps, they played their first Test in 1930 against England in Christchurch, becoming the fifth country to play Test cricket. From 1930 ...

(and other international cricket teams), the

All Blacks The New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks ( mi, Ōpango), represents New Zealand in men's international rugby union, which is considered the country's national sport. The team won the Rugby World Cup in 1987 ...

, and first-class players have appeared for the club over the years, although players of all abilities are welcome provided they are from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

or have a deep connection thereto. LNZCC raises its own teams and plays non-competition games at the grounds of the opposition. Many of the teams are competitive club teams or established friendly teams and many of the grounds are notable for their location and quality, for example, the early season fixture agains
Wimbledon
who play in the

Surrey Championship The Surrey Championship is a cricket organisation in Surrey running 6 divisions for 1st & 2nd XI cricket, 4 for 3rd XI and 4 for 4th XI. Since 2000 it has been a designated ECB Premier League. The teams competing in the Premier Division in 2020 w ...

and who play at the Wimbledon Cricket Club Ground, located opposite the

All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, also known as the All England Club, based at Church Road, Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, London, England, is a Gentlemen's club, private members' club. It is best known as the venue for the Wimbledon ...

; the match vs the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

who play at the

Artillery Ground The Artillery Ground in Finsbury is an open space originally set aside for archery and later known also as a cricket venue. Today it is used for military exercises, cricket, rugby and football matches. It belongs to the Honourable Artillery Com ...

Finsbury Finsbury is a district of Central London, forming the south-eastern part of the London Borough of Islington. It borders the City of London. The Manor of Finsbury is first recorded as ''Vinisbir'' (1231) and means "manor of a man called Finn ...

in the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London fr ...

; against

The Hurlingham Club The Hurlingham Club is an exclusive private social and athletic club located in the Fulham area of London, England. Founded in 1869, it has a Georgian-style clubhouse set in of grounds. It is a member of the Association of London Clubs. Hist ...

, an exclusive

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

and

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

club located in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

, London, England. Other notable fixtures are played at Ripley in Surrey, vs Goodwood on The Duke of Richmond and Gordon's estate overlooking Goodwood House near Chichester and against Hagley CC at

Hagley Hall Hagley Hall is a Grade I listed 18th-century house in Hagley, Worcestershire, the home of the Lyttelton family. It was the creation of George, 1st Lord Lyttelton (1709–1773), secretary to Frederick, Prince of Wales, poet and man of letters ...

, the seat of the Lyttelton family and home of current Lord Chris and Lady Tessa Cobham. The club has also played against touring New Zealand cricket team sides and the

Marylebone Cricket Club Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) is a cricket club founded in 1787 and based since 1814 at Lord's Cricket Ground, which it owns, in St John's Wood, London. The club was formerly the governing body of cricket retaining considerable global influence ...

History and role

The genesis of LNZCC was New Zealander Trevor Campbell shortly after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, in his role as the ‘Public Relations Officer’ of the NZ High Commission. Campbell posited that the UK was very grateful to New Zealand for its assistance of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

in World War II and such signs of gratitude could be extended through cricket, a game widely popular in both countries, and that games could be played against teams who would no doubt feature returned servicemen who fought with New Zealanders during World War II. Campbell was based at the New Zealand High Commission in the former ‘Dominion of New Zealand’ building,
415
The Strand, London and sought the help of

Errol Holmes Errol Reginald Thorold Holmes (21 August 1905 – 16 August 1960) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket for Oxford University, Surrey and England between 1924 and 1955. A dashing right-handed batsman, Holmes believed that c ...

former

test cricketer, MCC captain to New Zealand in 1935/36 and then-current MCC committee member, in establishing a club. With the added support of NZ High Commissioner Sir

Frederick Doidge Sir Frederick Widdowson Doidge (26 February 1884 – 26 May 1954) was a journalist in New Zealand and England, then a National Party member in the New Zealand House of Representatives. Biography Early life and career Doidge was born in Coo ...

and the MCC, Campbell invited more than 200 well-known

New Zealanders New Zealanders ( mi, Tāngata Aotearoa), colloquially known as Kiwis (), are people associated with New Zealand, sharing a common history, culture, and language (New Zealand English). People of various ethnicities and national origins are citiz ...

living in the UK to meet. LNZCC was formed at the New Zealand High Commission in December 1951 during severe smog conditions. It was decided that the aim of LNZCC (which continues to this day, as well as meeting at the New Zealand High Commission building for a mid-season function) was to "provide the opportunity for its members to play and enjoy cricket in the home of the game and to meet socially". More than 70 people attended the meeting that formed LNZCC including many illustrious sporting and military names. In attendance – Sir Arthur Simms; Sir Arthur Donnelly; Harold Gilligan (Captain of the England team that played New Zealand's first ever test;) LEL Donne; Walter Hadlee; Roger Blunt; Alan Mitchell amongst others. At the meeting,

Roger Blunt Roger Charles Blunt (3 November 1900 – 22 June 1966) was a cricketer who played nine Test matches for the New Zealand national cricket team. Personal life Blunt was born in England, but his family moved to New Zealand when he was six month ...

, a former New Zealand cricket team captain, was made the first Club Captain and Errol Holmes the first President, Campbell Honorary Secretary and invitations to stand as Vice-President were sent to then New Zealand Prime Minister Sir Sidney Holland and to High Commissioner Sir Frederick Doidge. The first two men elected VP were Lord Newall (Cyril Newall, ex Governor-General of NZ and Marshall of the Royal Air Force during WW2) and Lord Freyberg VC (as General Bernard Freyberg, Commander of the NZ Expeditionary Force in WW2; earlier in his career he was awarded the Victoria Cross in the Battle of the Somme in 1916; later he was Governor- General of NZ.) Amongst the active members of LNZCC were New Zealand test cricketers Tom Pritchard, Don Taylor, Roger Blunt, Bill Merritt and John Reid; Jim Laker, Ray Hitchcock (327 first-class games and 12,500 runs) and former All Black captain Ron Elvidge. A fixture list was soon created and the following year LNZCC was listed in the MCC's 'Register of Clubs' at Lord's Cricket Ground. The Club Captain role has long since ceased but the President role continues with a change to 'Chairman' and together with a committee, LNZCC continues to attract cricket-playing New Zealanders and a small number of friends from the Commonwealth. In 2002, LNZCC observed its 50th anniversary when Paddy Gaffikin, an LNZCC newcomer in the 1966 season when New Zealanders arrived in the United Kingdom on ocean liners rather than long-haul aeroplanes, authored a history of the club entitled 'Kiwis on the Common'. The Golden Jubilee season, and

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th anniver ...

season in 2012, were both celebrated at

The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...

, home ground of the Surrey cricket team (who LNZCC has also played). LNZCC continues to this day through the help of volunteers who provide a cricketing base and network for UK-based New Zealanders, be they young 'backpackers' on their 'OE', sportsmen playing in the UK, or established business people. Current and past membership of LNZCC is wide and illustrious. LNZCC also has branches in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

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 ...

and

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 / ...

, New Zealand and games are played in LNZCC colours by members in New Zealand.

Interesting facts

One of the most striking elements of LNZCC is the visually-appealing striped blazers worn by members to games and social events. The blazers are made up of vertical stripes in the colours of the club - representing

The City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London from ...

(red), the

Silver Fern ''Alsophila dealbata'', synonym ''Cyathea dealbata'', commonly known as the silver fern or silver tree-fern, or as ponga or punga (from Māori or ),The Māori word , pronounced , has been borrowed into New Zealand English as a generic term fo ...

which is a sporting symbol of

(silver) and the blue symbolises the waters of the Pacific Ocean (Pacific blue). Blazing bright in colour and mass, they are often captured by the media at test matches, Lord's Cricket Ground, The Oval and have been spotted at All Black test matches amongst others. They've featured in news articles too.
Ripley
Cricket Club is the only fixture to have been played uninterrupted since the first season in 1952. Since 2008 all LNZCC players are capped with ‘Nottman Caps’ once they have played five games. The Nottman Cap is named after Harold Nottman who was one of LNZCC's longest-serving playing members (from the 1950s to the 1990s no less) and a notable administrator in the club's history. One of his finest days on the cricket field for LNZCC was against Ripley Cricket Club when he took nine wickets in a match. Overseas tours have included Porto in Portugal, matches vs teams in Denmark in the 1960s and a special match vs the Monte Carlo Cricket Club in Bouyon in the Alpes-Maritime near Nice. Since 2013, LNZCC has toured the Mediterranean for matches in

Ibiza Ibiza (natively and officially in ca, Eivissa, ) is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is from the city of Valencia. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, in Spain. Its l ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

against the island'
cricket
team. Naturally, members of the club are supporters of the New Zealand cricket team and have often made the news when traveling around the world for that purpose.

Notable players

List principally sourced from 'Kiwis on the Common' New Zealand national cricket team * Martin Donnelly * Don Taylor * Ray Hitchcock *

* Bill Merritt * John Guy * Bill Merritt *

Billy Griffith Stewart Cathie Griffith, (16 June 1914 – 7 April 1993), known as Billy Griffith, was an English cricketer and cricket administrator. He played in three Test matches for England in 1948 and 1949. He played first-class cricket for Cambridge ...

* John Reid *

Dayle Hadlee Dayle Robert Hadlee (born 6 January 1948) is a New Zealand former cricketer who played in 26 Tests and 11 ODIs from 1969 to 1978. He is the son of Walter Hadlee, the older brother of Sir Richard Hadlee and the younger brother of Barry Hadlee. ...

Eric Gillott Eric Kenneth Gillott (born 15 April 1951) is a former New Zealand cricketer. He played first-class and List A cricket for Northern Districts between 1971/72 and 1978/79. He also toured England in 1973 as part of the New Zealand team that played ...

* Sir Richard Hadlee *

Martin Crowe Martin David Crowe (22 September 1962 – 3 March 2016) was a New Zealand cricketer, Test and ODI captain as well as a commentator. He played for the New Zealand national cricket team between 1982 and 1995, and is regarded as one of the count ...

Bert Sutcliffe Bert Sutcliffe (17 November 1923 – 20 April 2001) was a New Zealand Test cricketer. Sutcliffe was a successful left-hand batsman. His batting achievements on tour in England in 1949, which included four fifties and a century in the Tests, e ...

* Aaron Gale *

Hamish Marshall Hamish John Hamilton Marshall (born 15 February 1979) is a former New Zealand cricketer, who played all formats of the game for New Zealand. He is the identical twin brother of James Marshall. Hamish and James became the second pair of twins (a ...

* Jack Kerr * Bob Cunis *

Ian Cromb Ian Burns Cromb (25 June 1905 – 6 March 1984) was a New Zealand cricketer who played in five Tests from 1931 to 1932, including all three Tests of the 1931 tour of England. Cromb was born in Christchurch and attended Christchurch Boys' High ...

Tony MacGibbon Anthony Roy MacGibbon (28 August 1924 – 6 April 2010) was a cricketer who played 26 Tests for New Zealand in the 1950s. MacGibbon was a useful lower-order right-hand batsman and a right-arm fast-medium bowler who led the attack for his count ...

* Dave Crowe * Andre Adams *

Graeme Thomson Sir Graeme Thomson (9 August 1875 – 28 September 1933) was a British civil servant in the Admiralty, who served as a colonial civil servant and then governor in several British colonies. Admiralty clerk Graeme Thomson was educated at Winche ...

(A number of first-class and List A players who have not played internationally have also played for the club, e.g.

Scott Baldwin Scott "Scotty" Baldwin is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its now-defunct spinoff ''Port Charles''. The character debuted played by child actors in the 1960s until Kin Shriner assumed the role in 1977. Sc ...

Luke Vivian Luke John Vivian (born 12 June 1981) is a former New Zealand cricketer who played Twenty20 and List-A matches for Canterbury cricket team, Canterbury and Auckland cricket team, Auckland from 2006 to 2009. He played as a right-handed middle-order ...

, and various Oxford and Cambridge Blues players) All Blacks *

Zinzan Brooke Zinzan Valentine Brooke (born Murray Zinzan Brooke on 14 February 1965) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at number eight. Brooke played 58 tests for New Zealand, and 42 non-international matches for the All Blacks. He ...

* Ron Elvidge * Sam Harding *

Ian Botting Ian James Botting (18 May 1922 – 9 July 1980) was a New Zealand rugby union player who represented both his country of birth and England. A wing three-quarter, Botting played for Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zeal ...

* Tony Davies * Scott Cartwright

West Indies national cricket team The West Indies cricket team, nicknamed the Windies, is a multi-national men's cricket team representing the mainly English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean region and administered by Cricket West Indies. The players on ...

Gerry Alexander Franz Copeland Murray Alexander OD (2 November 1928 – 16 April 2011), known as Gerry Alexander, was a Jamaican cricketer who played 25 Test matches for the West Indies. He was a wicket-keeper who had 90 dismissals in his 25 Test appearances ...

South African cricket team *

Graeme Pollock Robert Graeme Pollock (born 27 February 1944) is a former cricketer for South Africa, Transvaal and Eastern Province. A member of a famous cricketing family, Pollock is widely regarded as one of South Africa's greatest ever cricketers, and as ...

English cricket team * David White New Zealand Football Team *

Tinoi Christie Tinoi Christie (born 29 February 1976) is an association football player who represented New Zealand. He played as a midfielder. Christie made his full All Whites debut as a substitute in a 0–5 loss to Indonesia on 25 September 1997. He was ...

Other * Bryan Ashbridge Principal ballet dancer of the Royal Ballet (Sadler's Wells Ballet School) * Dennis Coombe (

New Zealand Davis Cup team The New Zealand men's national tennis team represents New Zealand in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by Tennis New Zealand. New Zealand currently compete in Group II of the Asia/Oceania Zone. They have played in the World Group ...

) * Nicholas Davidson QC (New Zealand QC and High Court Judge) (

List of King's and Queen's Counsel in New Zealand The office of King's Counsel was established in New Zealand in 1907. During the reign of a male sovereign, appointees are called King's Counsel, and this applied from 1907 to 1952 during the reign of Edward VII (1907–1910), George V (1910–193 ...

)

References

External links

* {{Official, http://www.lnzcc.org Club cricket teams in England Cricket in London Sports clubs and teams in London Sports organisations of New Zealand