Reid to use position to spread cricket's gospel

John Reid, New Zealand's former cricket captain and International Cricket Council match referee, intends using his honorary position as president of New Zealand Cricket to spread the word of the Spirit of Cricket. Reid was appointed at New Zealand Cricket's annual meeting on Friday and was looking forward to a role which he said was the "icing on the cake" of his cricket career.

Reid, who was regarded as one of the tougher ICC match referees, said he intended to encourage the message of the spirit of the game at all levels, men's and women's, boys' and girls' cricket. He was honoured to be elected for the position and said it had been very sad to have as one of his first duties representing New Zealand Cricket (NZC) at the funeral service of White Fern Frances King.

However, Reid said he was very much looking forward to getting around various levels of the game as NZC's representative to spread the word of the game's spirit. He said he had been able to experience it himself in England earlier this year when on a speaking trip in which he made 16 speeches in six weeks, while also meeting old opponents, and culminating in a speech to MCC members. Reid recalled one occasion on the field when he benefited from the spirit of the game.

It was in South Africa in 1962-63, a year after he had broken Denis Compton's record for most runs scored on a tour of that country. Reid was playing in a Ron Roberts' XI, which was touring under Richie Benaud's captaincy. And in contrast to the previous year when he couldn't put a foot wrong, he was having trouble scoring runs.

In one match, he was batting with Ted Dexter and Reid said he played a ball and called for what he described as "a stupid run" and set off. He said Dexter must have known it was a bad call but didn't say "No" and kept on coming, although he must have known his fate, to save Reid's wicket. Reid went on to score a rare half-century to that stage of the tour but always remembered that Dexter had remembered the spirit of cricket.