ANTHONY ROY McGIBBON died on 6 April 2010. Tall, strongly built and fair haired, Tony McGibbbon played 26 Tests for New Zealand, as an all rounder, between 1950/51 and 1958, his debut and finale both being against England.
He scored 814 runs at 19.85 and took 70 wickets at 30.85. While these figures are far from outstanding, he played in an era when New Zealand struggled to compete at Test level, only winning one match - their first ever Test victory - during his time in the side.
His highest score, 66, was made in the Fourth Test against England in 1958, the highest score of the series for New Zealand. He also achieved his best bowling figures in that series, taking 5/64 in England's first innings in the First Test at Edgbaston. He dismissed Peter May four times in the six innings he bowled against him.
On the tour he played against both Scotland and Ireland, the match against the former being first class. New Zealand won by an innings with Tony scoring 38 and having match figures of 6/27.
He was less successful in the two drawn matches with ireland. Both games were severly rain affected in what was, even by recent standards , one of the most miserably wet summers of all time. At Ormeau he failed to take a wicket in either Irish innings, and, batting at 6, was caught by Aubrey Finlay off Cliftonville medium pacer Wisson Scott for 5.
He did not bat at College Park where the weather cut badly into a one day match. He opened the bowling as Ireland attempted to chase 161 in 115 miinutes and had the opening batsman, former Cambridge blue, Robin O'Brien caught at short leg by leg spinner Alec Moir for 12. He then nearly bowled Malahide's Paddy Neville with his next three balls, but failed to dismiss either him or any other batsmen as the hosts earned a draw with sensible batting.
At the end of the tour Tony remained in England to read Civil Engineering at Durham University and played little more first class cricket.
In his whole first class career he made 3,699 runs at 26.12 and took 814 wickets at 19.85. He was the New Zealand Cricket Almanack Cricketer of the Year in 1954.
Edward Liddle
