Mark Richardson

Mark Richardson was undoubtedly one of the most admired players in the New Zealand game. A transformed left-arm spinner who turned his game from bowling to batting after suffering the yips, he became a masterful - if slightly dour - opening batsman who thrives on the challenge of holding his place at the crease for as long as he could. His Test average hovered around the 50 mark, and his adhesive qualities played a significant part in several New Zealand Test wins. The only blemish was a failure to convert fifties into bigger scores. But he reversed this trend somewhat on tour in England in 2004, where he struck 93 and 101 in the first Test at Lord's. And during the India tour of 2003 he made his highest Test score of 145, and put on the second-highest opening partnership for New Zealand in an overseas Test when he and Lou Vincent added 231 at Mohali. His after-match challenges to the opposition's slowest runner sometimes outstripped the games themselves for entertainment value. He announced his retirement, aged only 33, after the Australian tour late in 2004.
Lynn McConnell October 2004