- By Jim Allnatt
Howick Pakuranga Cricket Club’s Premier team scorer is retiring after 26 years of service at the end of the 2023-24 season.
In 1998, Auckland Cricket decreed that every premier club had to have a regular scorer.
Rowan Armour, the team captain at the time approached Claire Hayne and she accepted the request.
Little did Claire think that all these years later she would still be in the job.
It’s a very long time to be a volunteer and during that time Claire has become an integral part of the club.
When Claire began scoring, she would sit with the opposing club’s scorer and everything was done by hand.
She would tabulate the scores after the days play and send it into Auckland Cricket on Monday.
It was Annette Campbell of Cornwall Cricket who introduced Claire into the team which scored Auckland’s matches, a task she has also carried out many times.
Claire is very proud of the fact that she has scored for more HPCC captains than Queen Elizabeth had Prime Ministers to deal with. Claire also scored for 33 Aces and 11 Black Caps.
The names are not all listed because the writer may have missed one or two.
However, the names Kyle Mills, Colin de Grandhomme, Colin Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Kerry Walmsley and Glenn Phillips come to mind.
Scoring became more difficult with advent of the digital age when not only did the scorers still keep their scorebooks but are now using an iPad which uploads ball-by-ball match coverage with many clubs possessing digital scoreboards.
Scorers also often need assistance to keep up-to-date when there is a crisis.
Claire is fortunate that her husband Peter is also able to handle scoring duties and he often helps out when Claire needs a break.
Claire has also been deservedly honoured by the club on a number of occasions.
The Claire Hayne scoreboard stands proudly above the entrance and overlooks the ground.
It has been there about 25 years now. Claire was made a Life Member of the Club in 2016, a much-deserved recognition.
Howick Pakuranga Cricket Club would like to thank Claire for her dedicated service to the club.
We all know Claire enjoyed scoring but what she didn’t know was how well-liked and respected she is by our members.
