Debbie Hockley will become the first New Zealand women’s cricketer inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, with Sir Richard Hadlee the only other New Zealander to have been awarded the honour.
The Cantabrian will on 2 January be the fourth female player in history to be inducted, with Belinda Clark (Australia), Enid Bakewell and Rachael Heyhoe-Flint (England) coming before her.
Hockley began her illustrious career when she debuted for the White Ferns in January 1979 against Australia, She would go on to play for a staggering 22 years on the international scene, breaking a number of records in the process.
In total she played 19 Tests, in which she scored 1301 runs with four centuries and seven half-centuries, while in the ODI arena she finished with 4064 runs, including four centuries and 34 half-centuries.
Following the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final in 2000, Hockley announced her retirement. It was a fitting ending to her career, going out as a World Cup winner, with New Zealand having beaten Australia by four runs.
A delighted Hockley said: “I am very proud that my contributions to New Zealand cricket in the time I played have been deemed worthy of this honour. I’m very much looking forward to the induction ceremony in Sydney, and the fact that my parents have been invited to attend the function will make it even more special.”
