New Zealand 1958 Cricket Team Celebrates 50 not out

Eight surviving members of the New Zealand Cricket team that toured England in 1958 will come together this week to celebrate their half-century anniversary.

Over their three days in Hamilton, starting tomorrow (Tuesday 4 March) they’ll attend team dinners, the test at Seddon Park, and, undoubtedly, over endless informal gatherings, recollect experiences that only those who’ve worn the black cap can fully understand.

In reuniting, these pundits of cricket will prove that the links born of international tours grow and strengthen over the years to such extent they become almost familial. In separate recent video interviews, when asked what they considered was their most treasured legacy of the tour, each team member put camaraderie and esprit de corps at the top of the list.

The organizer of the reunion, Jack D’Arcy, one of the youngest on the ’58 tour, now lives in Australia, but the silver fern is clearly inscribed on his heart. Jack sees this event as more than a gathering of old mates, He also sees it as a contributor to the fortification of the indomitable spirit that has positioned New Zealand as one of the greatest sporting nations in the world.

The 50th anniversary of the 1958 national cricket team to England will resonate with pride – in self, families, New Zealand cricket, and New Zealand itself. It will certainly testify to the inestimable contribution past test teams make to the shaping of New Zealand’s cricketing future