Don Beard

Wisden obituary

Beard, Donald Derek, who died on July 15, 1982, aged 62, while on a visit to England, was a member of the first New Zealand side ever to win a Test match - against West Indies at Auckland in March, 1956. He made a useful all-round contribution, scoring 31 and 6 not out at No. 9 and taking one for 20 in West Indies' first innings and three for 22 in fifteen overs in the second. New Zealand had waited 26 years and 45 Tests for this success. An accurate, medium-paced right-hand bowler, capable of late swing, and a lively hitter of the ball, in his four Test appearances he scored 101 runs at an average of 20.20 and captured nine wickets at 33.55 apiece. In all first-class cricket (for both Central and Northern Districts) he took 278 wickets (average 21.58) and scored 2,166 runs (average 22.10).

Wisden Cricketers' Almanack