A left-hand bat who went for his shots, a sparingly-used legspinner with a desire to experiment and a wide variety of different deliveries, and an excellent outfielder, Graham Vivian never really mastered any one aspect of his game and so struggled at the highest level. He made his debut against India at Calcutta in 1964-65 - remarkably it was his first-class debut, his selection following an impressive pre-tour net - where he top-scored in New Zealand's second innings with 43. That was his Test-best, and the one wicket he took in the match was his only success in five matches. He was picked to tour England in 1965 but struggled with the pitches, and he was on the periphery of the New Zealand squad without being selected for much of his career. In the Caribbean in 1971-72 his fielding was highly praised, but he struggled with both bat and ball. He retired in 1979, largely as a result of problems with his eyesight. He subsequently became a leading supplier of artificial turf supplier in New Zealand.
Martin Williamson