July 15, 2016
The Devonport Flagstaff Page 23
Centenary celebration for sporting great
Verdun John Scott, the only New Zealander to play test cricket and rugby league for New Zealand, would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. Scott was born in Devonport in 1916, and died suddenly in 1980. But he will still get a party, with Verdun’s son Murray arranging a birthday gathering to honour his father. On July 31, Murray will bring a truckload of memorabilia to the North Shore Cricket Club. He is inviting anyone who knew Verdun, or knew of him, to come along between 4pm and 6 pm. “It’s not about paying respect. It’s just about acknowledging him. Barry Sinclair and John Reid (wellknown cricketers) will be there. I hope some of my school friends – who my dad often cooked steak, eggs and chips for breakfast for – will come too,” he says. Among Verdun’s memorabilia will be photos, blazers and the jerseys he wore when representing the country. Both jerseys are framed together and usually hang in the Celebrating a rare talent… Murray Scott with a picture of his father Verdun Scott’s Devonport home, but that and his father’s jerseys was not always so, says Murray. “About 20 years ago, when my mum used to live on Clarence St, a guy told her he wanted to write an article about dad and borrow the jersey. He then said the jersey had been stolen out of his car and was gone. “But when a sports museum opened in Hamilton later on, a friend told me that my dad’s jersey was on display. That shyster had sold it to the museum. I went to see him and he gave me back another jersey. “I knew it wasn’t the right one because I remembered my dad’s jersey. I had often worn it as a kid. So let’s just say I went back a week later and got the real one. He had to pay the museum to get it back,” says Murray. The black jersey is from 1939, when Verdun was selected for the New Zealand Kiwis touring squad to England. He played one rugby league test match there before the start of World War II cut the tour short. Verdun served in Egypt and Strong in the arms… Verdun Scott hit 200 runs for Italy during the war. From 1946 until 1952, Verdun played as a right-handed Auckland against Otago in the 1947/48 season opening batsman for New Zealand. He often opened with former Takapuna Grammar School (TGS) student Bert Sutcliffe. He was a dependable batsman, scoring 1,772 runs for New Zealand, with an average of 40.30, and hitting four centuries. Cricketing website ESPNcricinfo describes Verdun as: “A big man, he had hardly any backlift and was no stylist, but he was very strong in the arms and his strokes travelled deceptively fast.” Verdun had gone to Stanley Bay School, but never made it to TGS. “He started working as a wharfie at the age of 12, after Standard 6, and kept doing that for the best part of his life,” says Murray. Cricket has become part of the Scott family sports tradition. Murray played at TGS, where he captained the First XI for two In the Kiwis… Verdun Scott on selection for the years and played for the Auckland Secondary Schools side. And daughter Kennedy (13) and son Christian (11) both play New Zealand rugby league side in 1939, outside the cricket for North Harbour. family home at 13 Kiwi Rd