| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronald McKenzie Murray | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 June 1927 Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 8 April 1951 (aged 23) Christchurch, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm medium-pace | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1946-47 to 1950-51 | Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 24 May 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ronald McKenzie Murray (15 June 1927 – 8 April 1951) was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Wellington from 1947 to 1951.
Ron Murray was a right-arm medium-pace bowler and useful lower-order batsman.[1] He first played for Wellington in February 1947 at the age of 19, and the following month he opened the bowling and took 3 for 43 and 5 for 85 for Wellington against the touring MCC. His victims in the second innings were Laurie Fishlock, Bill Edrich, Denis Compton, Wally Hammond and Godfrey Evans.[2]
He was the second-most successful bowler in the Plunket Shield in 1947-48, taking 13 wickets at an average of 28.00.[3] He was less successful in 1948-49, and although he took part in the trial matches, he failed to win a place in the New Zealand team for England in 1949.[4]
Murray returned to form in 1949-50 and was again the second-most successful bowler in the Plunket Shield, taking 13 wickets at an average of 14.61, and helping Wellington win the championship for the first time since 1935-36.[5] In the first match he took a hat-trick to reduce Otago's first innings from 116 for 2 to 116 for 5; Wellington won by seven wickets.[6]
Murray was a journalist for the Evening Post in Wellington.[4] He was considered a likely Test player, but he died aged 23 on 8 April 1951 from injuries he received when he fell while visiting a sick friend at Hanmer Springs in Canterbury.[4]
Beginning with the 1951-52 season the Ron Murray Cup has been awarded annually to the leading wicket-taker in Wellington senior club cricket.[7][8]