Born 8th March 1956 in Christchurch, Canterbury, former New Zealand Test and ODI captain, Lesley Murdoch was a dual international.
Lesley Shankland made her international debut against Australia in the Test series of 1978/9 in Trish McKelvey’s New Zealand team. Batting in the middle order the newcomer made 46 in her first innings for the White Ferns against an attack of Sharon Tredrea, Raelee Thompson, Sharyn Fitzsimmons and Marie Lutschini. At Melbourne she made her highest score of 72. It will be her last Test match for a decade.
Lesley’s ODI debut came in the 1981/2 World Cup at home in New Zealand. Then there is a four year gap where she plays no international cricket at all. Another sport in which Lesley excelled was hockey and she was a member of the New Zealand side, the Black Sticks, to play at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
When Lesley returns to international crick in 1986 she is captain of the New Zealand ODI team. In 1988 she leads New Zealand to the World Cup in Australia where the team wins a third place play-off against Ireland.
The final leg of Lesley’s cricket playing journey is in 1989/90 when she becomes the sixth Test captain of New Zealand. She skippers the team in a three Test series against Australia at home, losing 1-0. It’s the end of her playing days, but she stays attached to the sport, commentating both on radio and television and continues to this day.
Awarded an MBE in 1987 for services to cricket and hockey and in 2016 appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport.