Vernon Leader
New Zealand cricketer
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John Vernon Leader (14 May 1908 – 22 March 1995) was a New Zealand cricketer and mountaineer.[1][2] He played eleven first-class matches for Otago between the 1928–29 and 1940–41 seasons.[3]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Vernon Leader | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 14 May 1908 Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 22 March 1995 (aged 86) Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Left-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1928/29–1940/41 | Otago | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 7 February 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leader was born at Christchurch in 1908 but was educated at Otago Boys' High School in Dunedin.[4] He played schools representative cricket for Otago.[5]
Leader made his senior representative debut during the 1928–29 season in a Plunket Shield match against Auckland at Carisbrook, scoring seven runs and not taking a wicket. He played irregularly for the provincial side―his next two first-class appearances were during Otago's Plunket Shield winning campaign of 1932–33. In a total of 11 first-class matches he scored 292 runs and took 18 wickets, making his last first-class appearances during the 1940–41 season.[1][6] His best performance came in the 1938–39 Plunket Shield, when he took 6 for 44 and 3 for 58 against Auckland.[7] In the 1950s he was one of the selectors for Otago.[8]
Leader was a notable mountain climber. In 1935 he became the first person to climb West Peak on Mount Earnslaw alone.[2] In 1972, aged 64, he became the oldest person to make the "grand traverse" of Mount Cook's three peaks.[9]