Johnny Hayes

Johnny Hayes was a tall right-arm bowler who on his day was genuinely quick and could move the ball away from right handers. He was picked for a trial match after two first-class matches and on the strength of that he toured England under Walter Hadlee in 1949. He started well but sustained a groin strain which meant he was a passenger for the second half of the trip, obliged to remain with the squad. The first of his 15 Tests came against England in 1950-51 and the following season he produced possibly his best burst when he removed Gomez, Walcott and Worrell in eight balls. In 1955-56 he toured India and Pakistan with success, taking 35 wickets at 32.11 in first-class games where he used the new ball with skill. He was less successful in the Tests, his 13 wickets in six outings costing 46.61. He made a second trip to England in 1958 where he took 62 wickets, including 11 in a match against the MCC at Lord's. The New Zealand side was widely regarded as one of the worst to tour overseas and Hayes struggled in the four Tests with only six wickets. The bulk of those came in England's only innings at Lord's where Hayes took his Test-best 4 for 36. His job with an import-export company did not always leave him free for cricket, and he was obliged to miss a tour to South Africa in 1953-54. After retiring from cricket in 1961, he worked in import and export, and was Morocco's honorary consul general in New Zealand until his retirement in 2004.
Martin Williamson