A former NZC President, captain of Wellington and Auckland, and author of more than 30 books on New Zealand cricket, Don was a great friend to the Club since its inception in 1994.
There are few positions in New Zealand cricket that Don Neely did not hold throughout a long career as player, administrator and historian.
Many of us first encountered his name on the cover of Men in White and the popular cricket annuals he edited throughout the 1970s and 1980s. More significantly during this period he was a selector of the New Zealand men’s team (convenor for seven years) at a time when series wins were recorded over England, West Indies and Australia. He stepped down from the panel in 1993 and was conferred with life membership of NZC before publishing, with his wife Paddianne, The Summer Game, an illustrated history of cricket in New Zealand.
Long before all of this he was a promising young batsman from Rongotai College whose selection for Wellington’s Brabin Shield (Under-20) side introduced him to wicketkeeper Michael Dormer, with whom he would share a lifelong friendship.
When Mike founded The Willows in 1994, Don was immediately on board with the Club’s objective of bringing together school cricketers with leading players and coaches and was influential in helping the Club make the right connections in cricketing circles around the country and beyond. He contributed memorably at Club dinners through the years – including the Forty-Niners 50th anniversary celebration – and regularly produced polished articles and historical photos for the Club’s annual report.
His career as a player peaked with unbeaten innings of 132 and 43 as he captained Wellington to a thumping win over Otago at his beloved Basin Reserve in 1967. The scoreboard would later be named for him and he served as member of the Basin Reserve Trust and chairman of the NZ Cricket Museum, located at the ground.
Don’s tireless efforts as an administrator and historian were recognised with an MBE in 1995, and an MNZM in 2011. He was appointed NZC President in 2006 and completed the maximum three years in the role.
In his address to the Forty-Niners Dinner in 1999, he concluded with this: “I know that at Loburn, both sides will play this lovely game for the only reason that any game is worth playing and that is for fun and fellowship.”