Jahidul Islam Joy at 15:43, 13 January 2026

2026-01-13T15:43:43Z

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{{Short description|New Zealand cricketer (1938–2018)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox cricketer
| name = Bevan Congdon
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE|size=100%}}
| image = File:Bevan Congdon of NZ.jpg
| country = New Zealand
| fullname = Bevan Ernest Congdon
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1938|2|11|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Motueka]], New Zealand
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2018|2|10|1938|2|11|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Auckland]], New Zealand
| batting = Right-handed
| bowling = Right-arm medium
| role = All-rounder
| international = true
| internationalspan = 1965–1978
| testdebutdate = 22 January
| testdebutyear = 1965
| testdebutagainst = Pakistan
| testcap = 103
| lasttestdate = 24 August
| lasttestyear = 1978
| lasttestagainst = England
| odidebutdate = 11 February
| odidebutyear = 1973
| odidebutagainst = Pakistan
| odicap = 4
| lastodidate = 17 July
| lastodiyear = 1978
| lastodiagainst = England
| odishirt =
| club1 = [[Central Districts Stags|Central Districts]]
| year1 = {{nowrap|1960/61–1970/71}}
| club2 = [[Wellington Firebirds|Wellington]]
| year2 = 1971/72
| club3 = [[Otago Volts|Otago]]
| year3 = 1972/73–1973/74
| club4 = [[Canterbury Wizards|Canterbury]]
| year4 = 1974/75–1977/78
| columns = 4
| column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
| matches1 = 61
| runs1 = 3,448
| bat avg1 = 32.22
| 100s/50s1 = 7/19
| top score1 = 176
| deliveries1 = 5,620
| wickets1 = 59
| bowl avg1 = 36.50
| fivefor1 = 1
| tenfor1 = 0
| best bowling1 = 5/65
| catches/stumpings1 = 44/–
| column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
| matches2 = 11
| runs2 = 338
| bat avg2 = 56.33
| 100s/50s2 = 1/2
| top score2 = 101
| deliveries2 = 437
| wickets2 = 7
| bowl avg2 = 41.00
| fivefor2 = 0
| tenfor2 = 0
| best bowling2 = 2/17
| catches/stumpings2 = 0/–
| column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
| matches3 = 241
| runs3 = 13,101
| bat avg3 = 34.84
| 100s/50s3 = 23/68
| top score3 = 202*
| deliveries3 = 15,602
| wickets3 = 204
| bowl avg3 = 30.02
| fivefor3 = 4
| tenfor3 = 0
| best bowling3 = 6/42
| catches/stumpings3 = 201/–
| column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
| matches4 = 40
| runs4 = 1,269
| bat avg4 = 40.93
| 100s/50s4 = 1/10
| top score4 = 101
| deliveries4 = 1,895
| wickets4 = 41
| bowl avg4 = 26.51
| fivefor4 = 0
| tenfor4 = 0
| best bowling4 = 4/33
| catches/stumpings4 = 12/–
| date = 21 April
| year = 2017
| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/36611.html Cricinfo
}}
'''Bevan Ernest Congdon''' {{post-nominals|country=NZL|OBE}} (11 February 1938 – 10 February 2018) was a New Zealand cricket [[all-rounder]] who played 61 [[Test cricket|Test matches]] and 11 [[One Day International]]s from 1965 to 1978, which included a two-year spell as captain.<ref name="death">{{cite news |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22387998/former-new-zealand-captain-bevan-congdon-dies |title=Former New Zealand captain Bevan Congdon dies | work=ESPN Cricinfo| date=10 February 2018| access-date=10 February 2018}}</ref>

==Captaincy==
Congdon was captain of the New Zealand Test and ODI team from 1972 to 1974, and was the first New Zealand captain to record a victory over [[Australian cricket team|Australia]].<ref name="vic">{{cite news|title=New Zealand's great day of fulfilment|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/142361.html |access-date=12 October 2014 |work=espncricinfo|date=13 March 1974}}</ref> Congdon was principally a batsman but also became a useful medium-pace bowler midway through his career. The Test captaincy brought out his best cricket: before becoming captain he had played 31 Tests and scored 1,569 runs at an average of 26.59 and had taken 12 wickets, but during his 17 Tests as captain he scored 1,067 runs at 41.03 and took 33 wickets.<ref>Matthew Appleby, ''New Zealand Test Cricket Captains'', Reed, Auckland, 2002, p. 96.</ref>

Congdon's finest moments in Tests included the tour of [[New Zealand cricket team in England in 1973|England in 1973]] when he scored 176 at [[Trent Bridge]] and 175 at [[Lord's]] in successive Tests, and the determined foray by the Kiwis to the [[New Zealand cricket team in the West Indies in 1971–72|West Indies in 1972]], when he took over the captaincy from [[Graham Dowling]]. In the Trent Bridge match, New Zealand chased 479 in the final innings, falling short by only 38 runs. At the time, this was a Test record for a highest score in the fourth innings to lose a match. The innings at Lord's contributed to New Zealand making 551, their highest score in Tests at the time.

In 1975, Congdon became the first New Zealand batsman to score an ODI century at [[Basin Reserve]]. The second one was scored by [[Kane Williamson]], 43 years later, on 6 January 2018 against Pakistan.

Asked afterwards how he prepared for Test cricket in his remote, intemperate [[South Island]] hometown, he replied that net pitches in [[Motueka]] prepared one for anything.

==Honours==
In the [[1975 New Year Honours (New Zealand)|1975 New Year Honours]], Congdon was appointed an [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire]], for services to cricket.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=46446 |date=1 January 1975 |page=38 |supp=3}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cricinfo|id=36611}}
* [http://nzcricketmuseum.co.nz/bevan-congdon "Vale Bevan Congdon"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125210301/http://nzcricketmuseum.co.nz/bevan-congdon/ |date=25 January 2022 }} from the New Zealand Cricket Museum

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|
before=[[Graham Dowling]]|
title=[[New Zealand national cricket captains|New Zealand national cricket captain]]|
years=1971/72–1976/77 |
after=[[Glenn Turner]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{New Zealand Test Cricket Captains}}
{{New Zealand ODI Cricket Captains}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Congdon, Bevan}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:Canterbury cricketers]]
[[Category:Central Districts cricketers]]
[[Category:Cricketers from Motueka]]
[[Category:International Cavaliers cricketers]]
[[Category:New Zealand cricketers]]
[[Category:New Zealand Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:New Zealand One Day International captains]]
[[Category:New Zealand One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:New Zealand Test cricket captains]]
[[Category:New Zealand Test cricketers]]
[[Category:Otago cricketers]]
[[Category:South Island cricketers]]
[[Category:Wellington cricketers]]
[[Category:Wisden Cricketers of the Year]]

Bevan Congdon - Revision history

Jahidul Islam Joy at 15:43, 13 January 2026