Two legendary New Zealand cricketers - Jeremy Coney and Haidee Tiffen, have been inducted into the NZC Hall of Fame, the first additions since the inaugural “First Eleven” was unveiled last summer.
An alliance between New Zealand Cricket (NZC), the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, and the New Zealand Cricket Museum, the Hall of Fame (HOF) seeks to immortalise the country’s greatest cricketers, so that the players and fans of today can feel a sense of identity and a connection to those who have gone before them.
Last summer's inauguration saw the induction of Bert Sutcliffe, John R. Reid, Jackie Lord, Trish McKelvey, Glenn Turner, Sir Richard Hadlee, Debbie Hockley, Martin Crowe, Emily Drumm, Daniel Vettori, and Brendon McCullum.
Coney, who led the New Zealand men’s team through its first so-called “Golden Era” in the 1980s, and Tiffen, one of the best all-rounders in the world during the decade from 1999-2009, are the first to be added.
One of New Zealand women’s cricket’s most accomplished leaders, Tiffen debuted against South Africa as a 19-year-old in 1999, and made 128 international appearances (53 as captain) across formats, including a remarkable streak of 71 consecutive ODIs.
She was a star of New Zealand’s 2000 World Cup triumph on home soil, scoring 187 runs at 46.75.
As captain, Tiffen led the team to the 2009 World Cup final in Australia, topping both aggregates and averages with 279 runs at 46.50, including a century against Pakistan in Sydney, her penultimate international innings.
An elite all-rounder, she was shortlisted for the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2006 (one of seven nominees) and bowled with great skill alongside her reliable batting. She also featured in New Zealand’s inaugural women’s T20I against England in 2004, and scored 124 in her two Tests.
“It’s a huge honour to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and to be alongside some of my role models already inducted, like Debbie Hockley, Sir Richard Hadlee and Emily Drumm,” she said.
“As a young girl from Timaru, representing New Zealand was always a dream.
“Cricket has given me so much, incredible friendships, challenges, and memories that will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful to the game and everyone who supported me along the way.”
Regarded as one New Zealand’s most courageous competitors, Coney led the New Zealand men’s team to three historic and successive Test series victories in 1985 and 1986: against Australia in Australia, Australia in New Zealand, and England in England, all of which were first-time achievements.
Excelling in batting, bowling, fielding, and leadership, he was renowned for thriving in crises. His maiden Test century of 174 not out against England at the Basin Reserve in 1984 came after a 244-run first-innings deficit, rescuing New Zealand from near-certain defeat in an epic eight-hour stand.
The following season, another unbeaten hundred (with a famous last-wicket 50-run partnership alongside Ewen Chatfield) delivered a dramatic two-wicket win against Pakistan in Dunedin.
Across 52 Tests, Coney scored 2668 runs at 37.57 (including three centuries and 16 fifties) and took 64 catches, many at second slip, where his success rate was near-infallible.
His medium-pace bowling delivered 27 Test wickets and 54 in ODIs, including a crucial four-wicket haul at Leeds in 1983 that helped secure New Zealand’s first Test win in England. In 80 ODI innings, he failed to score only once.
“I think back to the skinny wraith from Ngaio in Wellington, spending his primary schoolboy afternoons alone on our tennis court immersed with a ball, my older brother’s bat (which HAD to be replaced in the precise position it lay prior to his return from college),” he said.
“In that wash-house I first heard the seductive clink of buckles from pads… It was on this tennis court using this borrowed equipment I created unlikely and (as yet) unregistered, test victories over England and Australia.
“One might imagine the pleasure supplied when these mythical encounters became a reality for me”.
Coney said he was honoured to be recognised.
“It’s been fun and a challenge. That this range of feelings through good times and bad, competing hard as part of a team, might result in my inclusion alongside those I have admired is a little beyond my expectations yet considerably gratifying.”
Inductees for the HOF must have represented New Zealand, and must have been retired for at least five years, with selections guided by outstanding performance as players, including leadership, influence, and world-class stature in their prime.
A shortlist was researched and compiled by cricket historian, statistician and author Francis Payne, easily without peer in his discipline within New Zealand, which was stress-tested with New Zealand women's cricket historian and author, Trevor Auger, and sports broadcaster, former New Zealand women’s representative and former NZC President, Lesley Murdoch.
The plan is for a nominations panel and voting academy dominated by former players to guide future selections annually, maintaining the HOF as a living tribute that prompts discussion, memories, and celebrates our cricketing family.
Coney and Tiffen will be formally recognised at the ANZ New Zealand Cricket Awards tomorrow (Thursday).
The HOF exhibit featuring the new panels of the pair will be unveiled at the New Zealand Cricket Museum in due course.
