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Dion Nash Facts

I have collected here some of Nash's biographical information and cricket records as well as various non-cricket facts and trivia. Note that this page is neither a Player Profile nor a Career Chronology, so please refer to those pages for detailed information about Nash's career, injuries, comebacks, etc. Also, please email me if you are aware of any errors.

Biographical
Education
Other interests
Early years in cricket
International career data
First class career data
Injuries
Career Statistics
Post-cricket career

Biographical

• Dion Joseph Nash was born in Auckland on November 20, 1971.

• His parents' names are Paul and Joan. He has at least one brother and sister, possibly 4 or 5 siblings in total; he has numerous nieces and nephews.

• He grew up in Dargaville, north of Auckland.

• He is married to former Silver Ferns (netball) captain Bernice Mene. They do not have any children.

• The pair live in Auckland, where they spend part of their time at the house Nash built on Waiheke Island.

• His nicknames in cricket circles are Nashy and D, also Dasher.

• Nash remains friends with many of his former team mates, notably Adam Parore.

Education

• Nash attended Dargaville High School before completing his final year at Auckland (Boys) Grammar. He achieved a B Bursary.

• He played for Otago while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin. He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Anthropology.

• In 1999 he was reportedly planning to take an extra-mural degree in Architecture offered by Lincoln University; at any rate he has some interest in architecture and built a house on Waiheke Island.

• In 2003, Nash will undertake a Postgraduate Diploma in athelete mentoring by correspondance with the University of Melbourne.

Other interests

• Nash enjoys many sports, particularly water sports, snowboarding and mountain climbing; also rugby (to watch and play), golf, fishing and trekking.

• One of Nash's latest hobbies is climbing mountains and frozen waterfalls and his mentor, Graeme Dingle, thinks Nash is a 'natural'.

• He likes to play touch rugby and says he was a good fullback.

• Nash says that he once attempted to be a surfie. He decided it wasn't his "scene", but the beach remained his favourite spot. He owned a VW Bay Window combie van.

• For relaxation Nash also enjoys reading and music.

• While touring England in 1999 he chose the philosophy of Nietzsche for his recreational reading. (That should impress anyone who's ever actually tried to read Nietzsche. I failed.)

• His favourite type of music is "Alternative music" and he listens to station B FM.

• Nash plays guitar and could be seen toting his guitar around England during the 1999 World Cup. He and Stephen Fleming once gave an impromptu "concert" when their plane was delayed at Pakistan airport.

• According to Gavin Larsen, Nash likes to party, and pinch his teammates' nipples...?!

• He apparently also enjoys throwing things at people, e.g., soccer balls, grapes, cups of water.

• Nash doesn't own a TV (by choice, but does listen to the radio).

Early years in cricket

• Nash first started playing cricket after his brother gave him a cricket set. Even in childhood backyard tests, Nash was already super competitive and thinks he may even have been a bad sport, and sometimes walked home sulking. Partly a result, he says, of his "competitive family".

• Nash used to be a Michael Holding fan and modelled himself on the West Indies fast bowler. He once said cricketers he most admires are Dennis Lillee and Dean Jones.

• Nash first came to prominence at national level during the 1992 New Zealand Youth tour to India.

• He made only 4 first-class appearances before his international debut.

International career data

• When fit, Nash was a right-arm medium-fast bowler and a right-hand batsman. Nash was usually recognised as an all-rounder, although his all-round ability was more evident at first-class level. He was also an outstanding fielder and perhaps the best athlete in the team.

• Nash was initially (in New Zealand terms at least) a genuine fast bowler, but was forced to slow down a little after his back injury. He moved the ball off the seam and in the air, and had a quicker "effort ball". He was perhaps most effective when moving the ball away from the right-hander and catching the outside edge.

• Nash is said to have had a positive effect on his team-mates, particularly Chris Cairns.

• Nash's Test debut was the 2nd Test, Zimbabwe v New Zealand at Harare, 7-12 November, 1992.

• Nash's last Test was the 1st Test, New Zealand v Australia in Brisbane, 7-12 November, 2001.

• Nash's ODI debut was 1st ODI, Zimbabwe v New Zealand at Bulwayo, October 31, 1992.

• His last ODI was 1st VB Series Final, New Zealand v South Africa at Melbourne, 6 February 2002.

• Nash's 11 wickets in the 1994 Lords Test is the best bowling by a New Zealander against England. He was the first man to achieve 10 wickets and 50 runs in a Lords Test. 11/156 is also his career-best match figures. He was man of the match and New Zealand's man of the series.

• In 1998 Nash claimed his best one-day bowling figures of 4-38.

• In 2001 Nash made his highest one-day score of 42.

• Nash made his best Test innings bowling figures of 6/27 in the 1st Test v India (83 all out) at Mohali, 1999.

• In the 2nd Test, New Zealand v India at Wellington, 1998, Nash made his highest Test score of 89*.

• In the same innings, Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori set the all-time New Zealand record 8th wicket partnership in Tests of 137 (previously 136). In 2000 Nash broke that record, this time in tandem with Chris Cairns in a partnership of 144 for the 8th wicket.

• Nash topped the New Zealand bowling averages and first-class batting averages on the 1999 tour to England. Nash and Chris Cairns were named New Zealand Players of the Year for 1999.

First Class career data

• Nash's club side was Howick-Packuranga in Auckland.

• Nash made his First Class debut for Northern Districts. He played for Otago while studying in Dunedin, but returned to play for Northern Districts. In 1998 he was drafted to play for the Auckland Aces, a sensible move as he lives in Auckland. He replaced Blair Pocock as Auckland captain in January 2001.

• After his record performance at Lords in 1994 Nash was offered a contract with English county Middlesex. He played for Middlesex in 1995 and returned in 1996 but played only one game because of a back injury.

• Nash achieved his First Class career-best batting and bowling figures while captaining the New Zealanders in a 1999 tour match against Hampshire. He made 135 not out and took 7/39.

• Nash announced his retirement from all cricket on May 2, 2002.

Captaincy

• As a school boy, Nash captained the Dargaville High School First XI.

• In 1998, Nash captained the Northern Districts Conference side and a New Zealand A team.

• Nash took over the captaincy during the 1998/99 ODI series against India, when Stephen Fleming was sidelined with a groin injury. That series was tied 2-2. He then led New Zealand into the first three one-dayers against South Africa, a win a loss and a win, giving him a captaincy record in ODIs of 4 wins and 3 losses.

• Nash became New Zealand's 25th Test captain for the 3 Test series against South Africa in 1999. South Africa won 1-0.

• Nash served as New Zealand's unofficial vice captain until he was injured in early 2000. He captained New Zealand in some First Class play in England.

• During the 2000/2001 season Nash, though unable to bowl because of a back injury, led a North Island Selection XI to one-day victory against the Sri Lankan side which later defeated New Zealand 4-1.

• In January 2001, Nash took over captaincy of the Auckland Aces from Blair Pocock. He had already led the side several times during the season while Pocock was injured. The Aces seemed to perform markedly better under Nash's leadership. Nash was replaced as captain by Brooke Walker for the 2001-2002 as Nash was expected to be too busy with international committments.

Injuries

• Dion Nash lost half his international career to a series of major injuries (see the career review for a detailed account).

• Nash's first major injury was a prolapsed disc and stress fractures in his lower back, sustained in 1996. The injury was potentially career-ending but nash made a remarkable comeback in January 1998. He continued to be troubled by back problems during that year, however.

• His next major injury was a prolapsed disc in spring 1999. He returned for the home season only to suffer more stress fractures in his back in January 2000.

• Nash returned to the New Zealand side in mid-2000 but promptly broke down again and it was thought he might never bowl again. He eventually returned to the Black Caps in July 2001.

• Nash suffered a series of injuries during the 2001-2002 season that hastened the end of his career. The first was a side strain, which became an abdominal muscle tear. Later he sustained a hip capsule injury. Nash announced his retirement a few months later, no longer possessing the motivation to recover.

• Nash also sustained various less-serious injuries during his career, including an intercostal muscle tear, dislocated shoulder, abdominal strain, groin strain, and a finger injury.

Career Statistics

TESTS

Batting and fielding

Bowling

ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS

Batting and fielding

Bowling

Post-Cricket Career

• Nash remains involved with the Players Association, of which he is a founding member. Nash was outspoken about players' rights during the contractual dispute in late 2002.

• Following his retirement, Nash and a business party started up a company exporting meat and ice cream to Japan.

• Nash also works a few hours a week in the ACE Advisers program at the New Zealand Academy of sport, mentoring young athletes.

• Nash has no immediate plans to work in a cricket-related role but has expressed interest in coaching a school team at some point in the future.

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