The Trafalgar Centre was packed for the funeral of former Nelson cricket player, captain, coach, administrator and life member Richard ‘Shots’ Hayward on Saturday.
The English professional arrived in Nelson as a 25-year-old in 1979 as a player-coach and made an immediate impact on the local cricket scene.
“We needed a coach and we had the money to bring him here. He already had his MCC coaching certificates,” recalls Jock Sutherland, who was Nelson Cricket Association chairman at the time.
Richard’s uncle Eddie lived in Nelson too and helped with the process.
The former minor county cricketer was a stylish left-handed, top order batsman and medium pace bowler, and quickly earned the nickname ‘Shots’.
“He was delightful to watch and had every shot in the book,” declares Jock.
Those thoughts were shared by former Nelson and Central Districts teammate Roger Pierce, who was a pallbearer at the funeral for the 72-year-old.
“We couldn’t believe some of the shots he played when he first came out, just beautiful and very elegant. He was a fabulous captain, understood people, but more than that, he was a fabulous human being, and this turnout today is a tribute to him,” Roger said.
‘Shots’ initially shuttled between Nelson and England, where he played first class cricket for Hampshire and Somerset, before settling here permanently in1985 with his wife Sue.
He went on to captain both Central Districts and Nelson during its highly successful Hawke Cup times in the 1980’s, scoring 3704 runs in his 88 matches for the association at an average of 49.39 with seven centuries and 24 fifties.
‘Shots’ later became the director of coaching for Nelson.
“But Canterbury pinched him, and he went down there and did the same job there for 12 years,” quips Jock.
Richard returned to Nelson Cricket as general manager in 2014, which coincided with the development of Saxton Oval as a regular international venue, including staging three matches in the 2015 World Cup.
He retired the following year, but returned to the game as a New Zealand Cricket Match Referee in 2017 where the popular figures became legendary for his detailed reports.
‘Shots’ continued in that role until 2025 when illness prompted him to finally call time on his storied cricketing career.
