New Zealand Cricket has confirmed that Jeremy Coney and Haidee Tiffen will become the latest members of its Hall of Fame, with the formal presentation set for Thursday night’s annual awards in Auckland. They are the first new inductees since last year’s inaugural “First Eleven”.
Coney, an inventive all-rounder, represented the men’s side from 1974 to 1987. He captained during what many still call a golden stretch – the back-to-back Test series wins over Australia (home and away) and a famous success in England in 1986. In 52 Tests he made 2668 runs at 37.57, added 27 wickets with brisk medium-pace and, in the One-Day arena, delivered 1874 runs and 54 wickets.
Reflecting on the journey, Coney said, “I think back to the skinny wraith from Ngaio in Wellington, spending his primary schoolboy afternoons alone on our tennis court immersed with a ball, my older brother’s bat (which HAD to be replaced in the precise position it lay prior to his return from college)… One might imagine the pleasure supplied when these mythical encounters became a reality for me”.
Haidee Tiffen’s numbers are equally striking. Debuting at 19, she played 117 women’s ODIs for 2919 runs at 30.72, chipped in with 49 wickets and, as captain, guided the White Ferns to the 2009 World Cup final. The Timaru native later coached the national side.
“It’s a huge honour to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and to be alongside some of my role models already inducted, like Debbie Hockley, Sir Richard Hadlee and Emily Drumm,” she said. “Cricket has given me so much, incredible friendships, challenges, and memories that will stay with me forever.”
Hall of Fame selection is reserved for players retired at least five years, with emphasis on performance, leadership and wider influence. The inaugural list last season featured luminaries such as Sutcliffe, Crowe, Vettori and McCullum; Coney and Tiffen now extend that roll to 13.
Former team-mate Ian Smith applauded the decision: “Jeremy’s tactical mind set benchmarks for every Kiwi captain that followed.” Ex-White Ferns coach Mike Shrimpton added, “Haidee’s calm presence dragged New Zealand women’s cricket into the professional era.”
Statistically, Coney’s Test average remains the sixth-best by a New Zealander with 2000 or more runs, while Tiffen still sits inside the global top ten for most ODI runs by a woman who also bowls regularly – a reminder that the term “all-rounder” carried real weight for both.
The pair’s post-playing contributions matter too. Coney moved smoothly into broadcasting, offering a mixture of dry humour and shrewd analysis. Tiffen’s coaching stint coincided with the emergence of Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr, players who openly credit her influence.
Induction on Thursday will bring fresh speeches, a few gentle jokes about long-gone floppy hats and, most likely, more tales from that Wellington tennis court or Timaru backyard. After nearly four decades of service between them, a place in the Hall feels well deserved – and, perhaps more importantly, perfectly timed for the next crop of New Zealand cricketers looking for role models that balance skill, smarts and humility.
