Ron Murray (cricketer)

Murray was born in Wellington and educated at Wellington College.^[1] He was a right-arm medium-pace bowler who specialised in out-swing, and a useful lower-order batsman who was "at his best in a crisis".^[2][3][1] He first played for Wellington in February 1947 at the age of 19, and the following month he opened the bowling and took 3 for 43 and 5 for 85 for Wellington against the touring MCC. His victims in the second innings were Laurie Fishlock, Bill Edrich, Denis Compton, Wally Hammond and Godfrey Evans.^[4]

He was the second-most successful bowler in the Plunket Shield in 1947–48, taking 13 wickets at an average of 28.00.^[5] He was less successful in 1948–49, and although he took part in the trial matches, he failed to win a place in the New Zealand team for England in 1949.^[6]

Murray returned to form in 1949–50 and was again the second-most successful bowler in the Plunket Shield, taking 13 wickets at an average of 14.61, and helping Wellington win the championship for the first time since 1935–36.^[7] In the first match he took a hat-trick to reduce Otago's first innings from 116 for 2 to 116 for 5; Wellington won by seven wickets.^[8] In a senior club match in Wellington in 1949 he scored 103 and took 9 for 27 in a single afternoon.^[1]

Murray was a journalist for the Evening Post in Wellington.^[6] He was considered a likely Test player, but he died aged 23 on 8 April 1951 from head injuries he received when he fell while visiting a sick friend at Hanmer Springs in Canterbury.^[6][1] At the inquest, the coroner concluded that Murray had fallen through a gap in a partially-completed fire escape after dark and sustained a fractured skull when he landed on the concrete below.^[9]

Beginning with the 1951–52 season the Ron Murray Cup has been awarded annually to the leading wicket-taker in Wellington senior club cricket.^[10][11]