Richard de Groen

Richard Paul de Groen (born 5 August 1962) is a former New Zealand international cricketer. He played five Test matches and 12 One Day Internationals for New Zealand in 1993 and 1994.^[1] He is now a Commonwealth Games official.

Richard de Groen

Personal information
Full name	Richard Paul de Groen
Born	(1962-08-05) 5 August 1962 (age 61) Ōtorohanga, New Zealand
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast-medium
International information
National side	New Zealand (1993–1994)
Test debut (cap 185)	6 November 1993 v Australia
Last Test	25 November 1994 v South Africa
ODI debut (cap 86)	16 December 1993 v Australia
Last ODI	19 December 1994 v Pakistan
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1987/88–1989/90	Auckland
1990/91–1995/96	Northern Districts
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 5 12 60 50 Runs scored 45 12 311 69 Batting average 7.50 2.39 7.97 4.31 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 Top score 26 7* 35 12 Balls bowled 1,060 549 12,352 2,340 Wickets 11 8 210 56 Bowling average 45.90 59.75 25.07 29.00 5 wickets in innings 0 0 10 0 10 wickets in match 0 – 2 – Best bowling 3/40 2/34 7/50 4/16 Catches/stumpings 0/– 2/– 10/– 10/–
Source: Cricinfo, 4 May 2017

Life and career

De Groen was born at Ōtorohanga in Waikato and educated at Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland.^[2] He studied accountancy at the University of Auckland and worked as a manager with Price Waterhouse from 1986 to 1997.^[3]

He played domestic cricket for Auckland and Northern Districts between the 1987–88 and 1995–96 seasons.^[4] In the match against Otago in the 1992–93 Shell Trophy he took 7 for 50 and 6 for 49.^[5] He was the leading bowler in the competition that season with 46 wickets at an average of 16.84; the next most successful was his Northern Districts teammate Matthew Hart with 34 at 17.23.^[6] Northern Districts won the competition. Wisden described de Groen as "a medium-fast right-armer of admirable control and stamina".^[7]

He toured Australia with the Test team in 1993–94, playing in two of the three Tests after being called up during the tour to replace the injured Willie Watson.^[8] He then played two Tests at home against Pakistan in 1993–94, and a final Test on the tour to South Africa in 1994–95.^[9] He took his best Test figures in the First Test against Pakistan: 3 for 40 and 2 for 48.^[10]

De Groen was Games Team Manager with the New Zealand Olympic Committee from 1998 to 2007, controlling all aspects of team preparations for three Commonwealth Games (1998, 2002 and 2006) and three Olympic Games (2000, 2002 and 2004).^[11] Since 2008 he has been the development director with the Commonwealth Games Federation.^[12]

References

1. Richard de Groen, CricInfo. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
2. "Sports Dinner". Quarterly. 7 (4): 14. 2012.
3. "Richard de Groen". LinkedIn. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
4. Richard de Groen, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
5. "Otago v Northern Districts 1992-93". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
6. "Bowling in Shell Trophy 1992/93". CricketArchive. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
7. Wisden 1994, p. 1192.
8. Greg Baum, "The New Zealanders in Australia, 1993-94", Wisden 1995, pp. 1047–59.
9. "Test Matches played by Richard de Groen". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
10. "1st Test, Auckland, Feb 10-12 1994, Pakistan tour of New Zealand". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
11. "Richard de Groen". NZOC. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
12. "CGF Management Team". CGF. Retrieved 5 April 2021.

External links

• Richard de Groen at ESPNcricinfo