Tributes have poured in for Nelson, CD and BLACKCAPS cricket hero JOCK EDWARDS who passed away in his home town this week at 64.

An absolute legend of Nelson Cricket, Graham Neil Edwards - known ubiquitously to all as Jock - played eight Tests and six ODIs for New Zealand in the late 1970s and early 1980s until another Nelson-born whipper-snapper named Ian Smith emerged.

Edwards made his Test debut against Australia at Lancaster Park in 1976/77 and would play Australia twice in that series. That was followed by a home Test against England the following summer at Eden Park - scoring a half century in each innings; two Tests against England on the 1978 tour; and his final three Test appearances against India in the home series of early 1981.

His personality, fearless batting and famously big hits - which included hitting a Ewen Chatfield yorker into the duck pond at Pukekura Park, and lofting a ball over the grandstand of Tralfagar Park that landed in a Nelson transport truck and made its way all the way to Blenheim before it was retrieved - made him both a crowd favourite and a player ahead of his time.

The affable wicketkeeper-batsman was also a hugely successful Hawke Cup stalwart - a mainstay of one of Nelson's greastest Hawke Cup eras, when Nelson held the Cup in a 14-match tenure from February 1979 to February 1983.

Edwards would also make 92 first-class appearances, including 67 first-class games for his lifelong Major Association, CD as he proudly wore the Stag on his forehead. He scored five first-class tons, all of those for CD, including a memorable 49 and 99 double against Australia in Nelson in a tour match at Trafalgar Park.

He also played 31 one-dayers, including 21 for the Stags, in his rollicking career.

GRAHAM NEIL ("JOCK") EDWARDS

Born 27 May 1955 at Nelson. Died 6 April 2020 at Nelson

8 Tests, 15 innings, 377 runs, HS 55, ave 25.13, 3x50, SR 58.35, 7 catches

6 ODIs, 6 innings, 138 runs, HS 41, ave 23.00, SR 72.25, 5 catches

92 First-Class matches, 164 innings, 4589 runs, HS 177 not out, ave 29.41, 5x100, 25x50, 126 catches, 16 stumpings

31 List A matches, 30 innings, 588 runs, HS 49, ave 20.27, 18 catches

[Editor's Note... that's Jock on the left, and CD's own Dermot Payton at right in the tweet above, not Lance Cairns ;-) ]

All the team at CD extend our heartfelt condolences to Jock's family, and many friends and fans, at this sad time.

Below is a selection of the wonderful public tributes to a man and player that will be remembered with affection by so many.

Article added: Wednesday 08 April 2020