New Zealand 2005

Ron Hart Day

by AST Tour Manager, Sam Harrison

Before AST's tours to New Zealand in 2005, not too many of us had heard of former Kiwi opening bat Ron Hart. That all changed when he invited the group to his bar in Wellington during the Test Match...

Ron Hart’s international career began and ended on 20 March 1985, when he opened the batting for NZ in a ODI against the West Indies at Antigua. He made a well-compiled 3, off 29 balls, before falling the way of many great batsmen of the era - "c Dujon, b Garner." Thus he finished with a career average of 3, highest score of 3, and a strike rate unrivalled in the modern game of 10.34. The date of the match - March 20, is now recognized in AST cricket circles as “Ron Hart Day”.

It was not a great tour for Hart, who also played three other tour matches for scores of 8, 8, 4, 7, 4 and 3. The highlight would undoubtedly have been against West Indies Under 23’s at St Kitts where he featured in an opening stand of 64 with John Wright, of which Hart contributed 4. This innings was recounted by Martin Crowe when he spoke to the group at our farewell function in Auckland - Crowe being fortunate enough to have seen it first hand, being padded up in the dressing rooms at the time. Hart's international career was stymied just as it was taking off by the Antiguan tearaway fast bowler Tony Merrick, who terrorised Hart throughout the Caribbean, striking him repeatedly on the gloves and body - injuries that kept him on the sidelines for the rest of the tour. Looking back, Hart modestly recalls Merrick also was once responsible for putting 16 stitches in Border’s hand – presumably he was referring to Rob Border who was playing in Trinidad in the 70’s, not Allan Border.

The first official meeting of the Hart Foundation took place in The Loaded Hog Bar in Auckland on 30 March. A minute’s silence was observed retrospectively for Ron Hart Day, which had passed 10 days earlier. Many ideas were discussed including Ron Hart T-shirts, bumper stickers, a board game, and a biography to be entitled "Hart Attack - The Ron Hart story", but no further action has been taken as yet. The next meeting is scheduled as a reunion function for 20 March 2009, during Australia’s next tour of NZ, to be held in Ron Hart’s “Seam Bar” on Courtney Place in Wellington. Guest speaker for the evening will be Ron Hart.