Woodcock honoured with Basin Reserve viewing room
A special piayer in Wellington cricket history has been honoured at the Cello Basin Reserve, with the home team viewing room in the Ewen Chatfield Pavilion officially named the Luke Woodcock Viewing Room.
The Basin Reserve Trust and Cricket Wellington bringing together Woodcock’s family, close friends, teammates, coaches, and colleagues, many who have shared different chapters of his remarkable cricket journey.
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Woodcock, who had surgery to remove a brain tumour in February and continues to undergo treatment.
He was celebrated with stories from White Ferns captain Melie Kerr, Woodcock’s former Wellington team-mate Stephen Murdoch and former NZ Cricket chair and ICC president Alan Isaac among others.
He began his cricket journey with Johnsonville Cricket Club, where he remains the club’s record-holder for runs and centuries, before making his Wellington debut in 2001 at age 19.
Across an incredible 384 appearances for Wellington in all three formats, He scored 10,594 runs and took 339 wickets. He holds Wellington records for first-class appearances and runs, as well as T20 appearances and wickets.
His career included Wellington’s 2004 first-class title, the 2014 Ford Trophy and T20 championships in 2015 and 2017. He also represented the Black Caps playing four ODIs and three T20 internationals and featuring in the 2011 Cricket World Cup squad.
In 2017, Luke became the most-capped first-class player for a single team in New Zealand when he made his 128th first-class appearance for Wellington.
After finishing his playing career, Woodcock continued to make his mark through coaching roles with the Wellington Blaze and the organisation’s men’s pathway programme. His time with the Blaze included three Super Smash titles and a Hallyburton Johnstone Shield title.
Woodcock said Wellington cricket has been as much about the people as the cricket itself.
“I’ve spent a lot of time at the Basin over the years, so having a room here with my name on it is pretty special and probably something I never expected when I made my Wellington debut at 19,” he said.
The naming of the home team viewing room recognises Woodcock's contribution to Wellington cricket, both on and off the field, while giving current and future players a to gather, watch the game and, no doubt, tell a few stories of their own.
