Balance of genders on board of Otago association now
IT was not that long ago the board of the Otago Cricket Association (OCA) was an allboys club.
Middleaged white guys had made the decisions.
Anna Campbell snapped that exclusivity when she was appointed to the board two years.
It is believed she was the first woman appointed to the board. A year later, Renuka Bayley joined her and at the annual meeting earlier this week, Liane
TophamKindley and Rachel Pullar were confirmed on the board which is now an even split in terms of gender.
It has not been an entirely organic evolution. New Zealand Cricket has directed the major associations to get more females involved at governance level.
But that said, the OCA has moved swiftly and has been quick to see the benefits in having a wider representation on the board.
All of that makes TophamKindley just a little uncomfortable, though. She is not there just to fill some quota.
‘‘New Zealand Cricket has put a real push on and I think that has been the impetus for a lot of this change,’’ she said.
‘‘I’d like to think people have been selected for their skills rather than their gender and in some ways I actually don’t like that [gender quota].
‘‘But I think the reality is it has probably made the major associations realise that they have to do things differently and it can’t just be the old boys network that it used to be.
‘‘There is a real focus now on putting the resources in to drive girls’ cricket.’’
Like a lot of us of a certain vintage, TophamKindley grew up with a poster of Martin Crowe on her wall.
That had something to do with the way he looked as well but TophamKindley is a confirmed cricket tragic and is passionate about the game.
She is an experienced communications professional and has been involved in governance roles before, primarily in the education sector.
‘‘Like most Kiwis, I enjoy sport and cricket is one of them. I remember watching my dad play and I played cricket myself.’’
She captained the Darfield High School First XI.
‘‘It was interesting because at that time women’s cricket in the 1980s was reasonably big.’’
She has three boys and they are all involved in sport. Hunter Kindley is on the cusp of the Otago side and Will Kindley has also played agegroup representative cricket, while Tom Kindley works for USA Rugby.
‘‘I feel like I was lucky because I’ve been through the stages with them ... and I’ve sort of seen where there is perhaps a few gaps and things.’’
While there is a concerted effort to lift the profile of female cricket, TophamKindley said it was important male cricket did not get shunted aside as a result.
‘‘Obviously I want to see more women and girls involved in cricket. But we also have to be really careful that while we are doing this that we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.’’
THE Otago Cricket Association (OCA) board cannot really be held accountable for the Volts’ performances.
But perhaps new chairman Shane Robinson is a little more responsible than most.
He made his firstclass debut for the province in February 1985. But with Warren Lees blocking his path in to the side, the former wicketkeeper had to wait until the 198889 season to get regular game time.
That was the year after Otago last won the Plunket Shield.
‘‘I came into the team the next year, so it was that far back,’’ the 52yearold joked when asked if he would be the first chairman to deliver a firstclass title in more than 30 years.
That is not his role, of course. His big challenge will be to lead a board with three newly appointed members and to oversee the continued development of the association.
At the OCA annual general meeting earlier this week, Liane TophamKindley, Rachel Pullar and Nathan Pitcher were appointed to the board.
The appointment of TophamKindley and Rachel Pullar means the board now has an equal split of men and women.
Robinson represents a safe pair of hands. He has been on the board for six years and filled in for the previous chairman, James Lovelock, when he was unavailable.
‘‘We’ve lost a fair bit of experience around the table, but we’ve gained a heck of a lot of enthusiasm,’’ Robinson said.
‘‘So it is going to be interesting as we move forward.’’
Robinson played 45 firstclass games for Otago between 1985 and 1997. He also played 39 one day games.
He was a useful contributor with the bat, but his value was behind the sticks. He claimed 123 firstclass dismissals — the fifth highest total by a keeper for Otago.
A real estate agent, Robinson believes the biggest challenge ahead will be for the association to keep evolving.
Being competitive on the field will always be a challenge given the limited population. And attracting top international matches to the region is getting harder with so many wonderful grounds around the country.
But Robinson is keen to chip in and give back to the game which has given him so much.
‘‘I love the game . . . and I’ve loved the friendships that you create in cricket. I’ve got lifelong friends through cricket and I guess I’m a cricket tragic, really.’’