Ian Leggat

Cricketers, we feel, are a little like old soldiers - they don't die, simply fade away. But evergreen Ian Leggat is still showing no signs of fading from the Nelson cricket scene, a scene in which he has been an integral part since he first represented the province in 1947. And he has rather an unusual record. Since this time he has represented Nelson in an unbroken 22 years of representative cricket. Ian first reached prominence as a member of the Nelson College 1st X1 between 1946-48, and it was While he was still at school that he was chosen for the senior representative team. He was a member of the original Central Districts team in 1950 (at right) and represented Central from 1950 until 1962. He and Harry Cave still hold the record of 142 runs for the ninth wicket in a Plunket Shield game (against Otago, in 1952). He also holds the Nelson club record for the highest score (267) scored as a member of the old Nelson College Old Boys' team. In his cricketing career, he's hit 31 centuries and three double centuries. He represented New Zealand on the 1953-54 tour of South Africa and the South Island in 1958. In Hawke Cup matches he still holds the highest aggregate of 1968 runs. As well he was a Nelson representative Rugby five-eighths between 1949 and 1952 and a Nelson representative indoor basketball player between 1947 and 1956 and a South Island representative in 1954.