Former New Zealand coach David Trist dies aged 77

The former New Zealand coach David Trist, who helped guide the team to the Champions Trophy in 2000, then called the ICC Knockout, has died aged 77.

Trist was a pace bowler for Canterbury during a 14-year playing career then went into coaching with roles with Canterbury, South Africa, Hong Kong and Netherlands before the New Zealand job in 1999 when he replaced Steve Rixon.

Though he was only in the position for two years he was able to secure New Zealand's first piece of global silverware, which has since been added to for the men with the 2021 World Test Championship. In the final in Nairobi they beat India by four wickets with Chris Cairns scoring an unbeaten century.

"Cairns was outstanding, and played an innings that he will remember forever, because it was the winning of the game," Trist told ESPNcricinfo in a 2017 interview. "But the feeling was we could do it, and we had to do it. That was what pervaded the dressing room - although there were moments of concern, quite clearly, with losing wickets early and one or two other batsmen not quite doing what they had done previously.

"But Cairns' innings was one of his greatest, if not his greatest, innings, in so much as it won basically the only thing New Zealand has ever won. He could take the game away from you. He was a big hitter, but he was also technically very sound. He wasn't unsettled by fast bowling, and against spin he was positive.

"I think in the latter stage of that innings, the Indians went from 'We've won this' to 'Oh shit!' And Chris went on, of course, to get a hundred. It was a huge innings, and probably one of the most important innings in terms of New Zealand that we've witnessed."

Reflecting on the title, where New Zealand beat Zimbabwe and Pakistan before facing India, Trist added: "I look back on it as pleasing for the players in the first instance, and a special moment for New Zealand. Even though they were only three matches, they were very testing ones: Zimbabwe in Africa, and then us as underdogs beating two of the powerhouses of world cricket on a fair and equal environment - we caused one of the bigger upsets in one-day cricket finals."

After leaving the New Zealand role, Trist became coaching director of Christchurch's Old Collegians Cricket Club as well as working in India and England.

In a statement on social media, New Zealand Cricket said: "NZC is deeply saddened to confirm the passing of former Blackcaps coach David Trist, who died in Christchurch yesterday, aged 77...NZC extends its heartfelt condolences to David's family and friends."