Background
Don Beard grew up in the country near Palmerston North, cycling 15 miles a day to attend Palmerston North Boys" High School.
Don Beard grew up in the country near Palmerston North, cycling 15 miles a day to attend Palmerston North Boys" High School.
After teacher training in Auckland, he attended Victoria University in Wellington.
An accurate fast-medium bowler and useful lower-order batsman, Beard made his first-class debut for Wellington in 1945-1946, but did not play again until the creation of the Central Districts team in 1950-1951. In the 1951-1952 Plunket Shield season he took 16 wickets at 27.25 and was selected for the two Tests against the touring West Indies side, taking four wickets. He hit his top first-class score of 81 not out against Wellington during the season.
Dick Brittenden said Beard specialised in the sweep shot, and "would have made more runs in his colourful career had he not expended so much of his patience on bowling".
He topped the bowling averages in the Plunket Shield in 1955-1956 with 28 wickets at 10.64, "and 110 of his 217 overs were maidens". He returned to the Test team for the last two Tests, and played an important role in New Zealand"s first-ever Test victory in the Fourth Test, making 31 and 6 not out and taking 1 for 20 and 3 for 22.
But that was his last Test. In 1961 he became principal of Te Aroha College in Waikato, and played a few games for Northern Districts.
In 1961-1962 he took 5 for 70 and 6 for 71 against Auckland, and 5 for 60 and 3 for 36 in the next match against Wellington.
He played his last game in the 1964-1965 season, just after turning 45. He also played Hawke Cup cricket for Wanganui, Manawatu and Thames Valley. He stood nearly six feet three inches tall.
He played basketball for New Zealand, was a notable amateur golfer, and played rugby union for Wellington, Wanganui (as captain) and North Island.
He died in 1982 while on holiday in England after retiring as principal of Te Aroha College.